:\v  U^’*.«V\r 
...... 

;  V 

i.i  •  •■,*. 

■fe- W: 
»  •  •  •  •  •  ■  •  '  • 

»  •  «  •*»» 


...... 

...  *  «  * .  .  • * 

■ »  »*» - 


.  »  *  - 

>•  r.v.V.-  ft; 


-V'V 


*  •  *  *  9 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL; 


A  COMPLETE  PRACTICAL  GUIDE  TO 


GILDING  IN  ALL  ITS  BRAN CITES. 

DESIGNED  FOR 

4  LL  TRADES  IN  WHICH  GILDING  IS  USED. 


INCLUDING  SILVERING. 

TOGETHER  WITH 

PICTURE  FRAMING,  PICTURE  REPAIRING,  AND 
MUCH  OTHER  USEFUL  INFORMATION, 
VALUABLE  RECEIPTS,  &c. 


—  ■  »  - 

Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress  in  the  year  18?fl.  by 
Jesse  Haney ifc  Co.,  in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of 
Congress,  at  Washington. 

■  »  <  » 


NEW  YORK: 

EXCELSIOR  PUBLISHING  HOUSE, 
McKeon  &  Schofield,  Proprietors, 


‘J  k**  *' 

THE  GETTY  CENTirt 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


PICTURE  FRAME  &ILDINO, 

AND 

Gilding  for  Interior  Decoration. 


PREPARATIONS  USED  IN  OILDINO. 

We  shall  first  describe  the  various  preparations  used  by  the 
gilder,  and  would  here  mention  the  importance  of  having  clean 
pots  and  brushes,  and  of  being  particular  to  keep  all  preparations 
from  dust  and  dirt.  This  is  necessary  if  the  operator  wishes  to 
accomplish  beautiful  and  brilliant  work.  We  shall  give  the  best 
description  of  how  the  work  is  to  be  performed,  and  the  latest 
and  best  practical  recipes  known  to  the  trade. 

Parchment  Size. — The  size  used  by  gilders  in  Englana  is 
made  from  parchment  cuttings,  or  cuttings  from  gloves.  In 
America  there  is  a  white  glue  in  use,  which  is  not  so  fine  or 
suitable  for  the  work.  Parchment  size  is  made  by  first  washing 
as  many  cuttings  as  you  have  room  for  in  a  clean  stone  pipkin 
cover  them  with  water,  and  let  them  simmer  for  two  hours, 
when,  to  test  if  it  is  boiled  enough,  the  inside  of  the  palm  of 
the  hand  should  be  slightly  wetted  with  the  size,  and  the  other 
hand  pressed  closely  several  times  upon  it,  when  if  it  be  found 
to  be  sticky,  the  size  may  be  poured  off  into  a  clean  basiD  to  cool 
for  use.  This  size  is  most  important  to  the  gilder,  as  he  uses  it 
to  mix  nearly  all  his  preparations  in  the  practice  of  his  art. 
When  it  is  cool,  it  is  like  jelly,  and  the  stronger  the  size  the 
firmer  it  will  be.  The  bottom  and  top  of  the  basin  of  size  will 
be  found  not  so  pure  or  transparent  as  the  middle,  and  the  gilder 
is  always  particular  to  mix  his  burnish  and  matt  with  the  finest 
and  clearest  size,  while  the  tops  and  bottoms  go  to  mix  whiten¬ 
ing,  stopping,  thick  white,  &c.  If  the  size  is  too  thick  it  will  be 
necessary  to  add  water  in  making  up  some  of  the  preparations, 
and  m  the  strength  of  size  is  important,  we  shall  refer  to  it  again 
shortly. 

Oil  Gold  Size. — This  size  is  a  mixture  of  boiled  linseed  oil 
and  ochre,  well  ground  up  together.  The  carver  and  gilder 


10 


THK  GILDER’S  manual. 


seldom,  if  ever,  make  this  size  for  use,  as  it  can  be  purchased 
cheaply  by  weight.  It  is  too  solid  for  use  as  kept  in  stock,  and 
is  thinned  down  with  boiled  oil  to  about  the  consistence  of 
cream. 

Matt  Gold  Size. — This  also  is  purchased  of  artists’  colormen 
by  weight.  It  is  of  a  chocolate  color,  and  very  stiff.  When  it 
is  required  for  use  a  small  portion  of  parchment  size  is  put  into 
a  stone  pot,  and  about  twice  the  quantity  of  water;  when  the 
size  is  melted  into  the  water,  a  small  portion  of  the  matt  gold 
size  is  added,  and  stirred  till  it  is  dissolved;  more  is  added  till  it 
is  of  the  consistence  of  thick  cream.  This  preparation  is  obliged 
to  be  used  warm,  as  the  size  with  which  it  is  mixed  would  coagu¬ 
late. 

Burnish  Gold  Size. — Like  the  proceeding,  this  is  usually 
bought  of  the  artists’  colorman,  and  is  mixedl  ike  the  above.  It 
does  not  pay  to  make  this  article,  but  the  following  ingredients 
ground  together  very  finely  would  bring  out  a  good  burnish. 
Black  lead,  deer  suet,  and  red  chalk,  one  ounce  each,  with  one 
pound  of  pipe  clay,  ground  with  parchment  size  to  a  stiff  paste. 
This  size  is  made  ready  for  use  like  matt. 

Clay. — This  preparation  is  usually  bought  of  the  artists’ 
colorman,  and  is  mixed  the  same  as  burnish  size. 

Gilder’s  Ormolu. — This  preparation  is  mixed  with  thin 
parchment  size,  to  give  the  oil  and  matt  gilding  a  deeper  and 
richer  appearance.  To  medium  strength  parchment  size  add 
enough  of  the  following  recipe  to  color  it.  It  is  better  strained 
aefore  putting  into  the  size,  and  applied  like  a  varnish,  thinly 
and  carefully. 

Recipe . — Mix  together  one-fourth  pint  of  spirits  of  wine,  half 
ounce  of  unbleached  shellac,  one  dram  red  Saunder’s  wrood,  half 
dram  tumeric.  Shake  every  now  and  then  until  completely  dis 
solved. 

Stopping. — This  is  a  mixture  of  size  and  whitening  to  the 
consistence  of  putty.  It  is  used  for  stopping  up  holes,  or  making  _ 
up  defects  in  the  work. 

Thick  White. — This  is  a  mixture  of  whitening  and  parch¬ 
ment  size  to  the  consistence  of  cream,  and  is  put  on  the  parts  to 
be  burnished  previous  to  the  burnish  size. 

Whitening. — The  whitening  used  by  the  trade  is  usually 
bought  in  100  pound  barrels,  and  is  a  very  superior  article  to 
that  used  in  the  household,  as  there  is  no  grit  in  it,  and  the  gilder 
is  particular  to  protect  the  whitening  barrel  from  dust.  Before 
being  used  for  the  various  preparations,  it  is  rolled  out  on  a  board 
with  a  rolling  pin  until  it  is  perfectly  smooth  and  fine. 

Whitening  Up. — Nearly  all  the  work  undertaken  by  the  gilder. 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


1* 


especially  that  of  picture  and  looking-glass  frames,  requires  to 
jaave  a  foundation  of  whitening  and  size  ;  the  reason  is  that  it 
can  be  got  up  much  more  smoothly;  and  a  brilliant  burnish  can 
only  be  produced  on  a  good  foundation  of  whitening.  For  out¬ 
side  work  paint  is  used  as  a  foundation,  and  the  gilding  is  inva¬ 
riably  done  in  oil,  as  no  other  gilding  would  stand  the  weather. 
It  is  therefore  important  that  whitening  up  various  moldings  and 
articles  should  be  practiced  by  the  learner.  It  must  be  remember¬ 
ed  that  all  the  stock  moldings  kept  by  the  professional  gilder  comes 
to  hand  ready  whitened  up  from  the  manufactory,  and  there  they 
have  a  ready  method  of  whitening  up  with  templets,  which  ren¬ 
ders  the  moldings  cheaper.  The  gilder  has  oftentimes  frames  to 
make  to  pattern,  when  he  has  tc  get  the  molding  made,  and  then 
whiten  it  up. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  give  the  molding  a  priming  of 
thin  white ,  composed  of  parchment  size  and  whitening,  and  laid 
on  very  hot.  After  this  is  dry,  the  irregularities  and  defects  of 
the  molding  are  filled  up  with  stopping,  and  then  thick  white  is 
evenly  laid  on  with  a  brush.  As  before  observed,  the  thick  white 
is  made  by  increasing  the  quantity  of  whitening  to  a  given 
amount  of  size  till  it  is  about  the  consistence  of  thick  cream. 
When  several  coats  of  thick  white  have  been  laid  on,  each  one  being 
dry  before  the  next  is  applied,  pumice  stone  of  various  shapes  to 
fit  is  applied  to  the  beads,  hollows,  flats,  &c. ,  giving  the  work  a 
coat  of  white  at  the  same  time,  and  well  rubbing  down  all  the 
rough  projections  in  the  molding,  and  also  taking  care  to  well 
square  up  all  the  angles  in  the  various  members  of  the  molding. 
In  smoothing  it  out,  superfluous  whitening  will  be  rubbed  out  by 
the  pumice  stone,  which  must  be  taken  off. 

After  repeated  smoothing  down,  it  is  finished  off  with  clean 
water,  when  it  will  be  found  to  be  smooth.  The  thickness  of 
whitening  on  the  wood  should  be  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch,  and 
in  some  instances  thicker.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to  use  the 
whitening  and  size  when  it  is  beginning  to  “  turn  off,”  as  it  then 
loses  a  great  part  of  its  adhesive  quality.  Different  strengths 
must  also  be  guarded  against,  as  a  strong  coat  of  whitening  size 
laid  on  a  weak  foundation  will  be  likely  to  peel  up  when  the 
after  preparations  are  laid  on. 

GILDING. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  gilding  practiced  by  the  trade;  one  is 
called  “ oil  gilding,”  the  other  “  water  gilding;”  and  the  latter 
is  both  matt  and  burnish.  Moldings  full  of  small  members,  and 
work  full  of  ornaments,  are  generally  gilt  in  oil,  while  broad 


f 


12 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL 


flat  surfaces  and  plain  beads  and  hollows  are  gilt  in  water, 
sometimes  in  oil.  Matt  and  burnish  gilding  are  seen  on  the  same 
molding  or  piece  of  work. 

In  the  chapter  on  composition  ornaments  we  describe  the 
method  of  getting  out,  fixing  on,  and  backing  up  the  corners  on 
frames,  but  have  hitherto  said  nothing  on  mitering-up  moldings, 
which  will  be  done  shortly;  and  our  first  essay  at  gilding  will  be 
on  an  ornamental  frame  of  broad  molding,  mounted  with  corners, 
and  will  be  in  “oil.” 

OIL  GILDING. 

After  the  corners  have  been  backed  up  and  hardened  by  being 
in  a  dry  place,  the  first  care  of  the  gilder  is  to  wash  the  orna¬ 
ments  on  the  frame  to  free  them  from  the  oil  and  dust  that  may 
cover  them  in  getting  them  out  of  the  mold  and  on  to  the  frame. 
After  this  is  dry,  the  coat  of  thin  white  is  evenly  put  on  the  frame. 
When  this  is  dry,  stopping  is  used  to  fill  up  the  holes  and  defects 
in  the  molding,  and  to  square  up  the  corners  that  are  damaged, 
and  make  good  all  ornaments  that  are  chipped.  When  the  stop¬ 
ping  is  hardened,  the  frame  is  ready  for  glass  papering,  and  the 
6aok  edge,  hollows,  beads,  and  flat  parts  of  the  frame  are  per¬ 
fectly  smoothed  with  fine  glass  paper.  This  is  important,  if  good 
work  is  required  to  be  turned  out.  Glass  paper  for  the  gilder's 
use  is  cut  up  into  pieces  about  two  inches  square,  and  the  sizes 
most  generally  used  are  No.  2,  1£,  1,  0.  No  very  coarse  glass 
paper  is  required.  After  well  brushing  out  the  frame  with  the 
ducting  brush,  it  is  ready  for  two  coats  of  thin  white  mixed  with 
clay.  When  this  is  dry,  it  is  ready  for  again  carefully  fine  glass 
papering,  and  is  then  ready  for  wliat  is  technically  termed  clear 
cole.  This  is  parchment  size  thinned  down  with  water  moder¬ 
ately,  and  put  on  warm.  The  object  of  thus  sizing  the  work  is 
to  keep  the  next  coat,  which  will  be  oil,  from  sinking  into  the 
surface.  Two  coats  of  this  size  are  usually  laid  on,  and  it  is 
much  better  to  lay  on  two  or  more  coats  of  weak  than  one  of 
strong  size,  as  the  latter  sometimes,  if  too  strong,  peals  off. 
Size  that  has  been  kept  a  little  too  long,  and  commenced  running 
or  spoiling,  is  known  to  make  first  rate  clear  cole.  After  the  size 
is  dry,  the  frame  will  be  ready  for  oil,  and  the  workman  mixes 
enough  oil  gold  size  to  about  the  consistence  of  cream,  and 
strains  it  through  some  clean  linen  rag  screwed  up  tightly,  forc¬ 
ing  out  the  oil  size.  This  oil  gold  size  is  laid  on  the  frame  very 
thinly  and  evenly  with  a  brush.  The  thinner  it  is  laid  on  the 
better,  but  great  care  must  be  exercised  to  touch  the  whole  of 
the  surface  of  the  molding,  and  to  be  most  particular  to  brush 
in  the  oil  to  the  bottom  of  the  work.  It  is  usual  to  put  work  in 


THE  GILDEK’S  MANUAL. 


13 


oil  the  last  thing  at  night,  so  that  it  may  be  ready  for  gilding  the 
first  thing  in  the  morning.  It  is  known  to  be  ready  for  gilding 
by  the  oil  being  just  tackey ,  and  nearly  dry ,  and  in  this  state  the 
gold  will  adhere  firmly,  and  brush  off  bright;  but  if  the  oil  has 
been  laid  on  too  thick,  or  the  gold  applied  when  it  is  too  tackey 
or  not  dry  enough,  it  will  be  dull,  and  greater  care  must  be  exer¬ 
cised  in  skewing  in  the  gold,  or  the  more  prominent  parts  will 
have  the  metal  brushed  from  the  surface. 

The  frame  being  ready,  the  gilder  blows  the  gold  out  on  the 
cushion,  and  cuts  the  sheet  of  gold  up  into  convenient  sized 
pieces  to  suit  the  various  parts  of  the  frame,  and  takes  them  up 
with  the  tip,  and  lays  them  on  the  frame  till  it  is  well  covered 
with  gold.  In  a  frame  gilded  in  oil  the  gold  is  ragged,  and  in 
many  places  of  double  and  treble  thickness.  The  gold  is  first 
carefully  pressed  down  with  a  clobber,  and  then  skewed  well  in 
with  a  badger.  A  rather  long-haired  brush  set  in  quill  is  used, 
called  a  skewing  brush,  to  brush  out  and  off  the  frame  the  old 
skewings  remaining.  After  this  operation,  the  frame  is  ready 
for  finish  size.  This  is  clear  size,  rather  weak,  laid  on  evenly 
with  a  liog’s-hair  brush,  and  if  it  is  thought  desirable  to  deepen 
the  color  of  the  gold,  a  little  onnolu  is  added  in  order  to  give  it 
a  deeper  and  richer  color. 

The  skewings,  which  are  the  small  particles  of  gold  not  required 
on  the  frame,  are  carefully  put  away  and  sold  to  the  gold  beater 
when  a  sufficient  quantity  has  been  collected. 

The  frame  will  now  be  complete  when  the  back  edge  is  brushed 
over  with  yellow  ochre,  mixed  with  size. 

WATER  AND  OIL  GILDING. 

After  going  through  the  operation  of  gilding  a  frame  in  oil, 
which  is  comparatively  simple,  the  reader  will  be  prepared  to 
gild  a  more  elaborate  frame,  finished  with  brilliant  burnish  ou 
the  corners,  beads,  &c. ,  and  a  broad  double  gilt  flat  and  hollow  on 
the  inside.  It  may  be  mentioned  here,  all  the  best  work  that  is 
flat,  such  as  broad  insides  to  picture  frames,  spandrills,  flat 
looking-glass  frames,  &c.,  are  double  gilt;  and  this  is  done  to 
give  the  work  a  better  color  and  more  solid  appearance. 

Some  of  the  gilder's  customers  may  perhaps  think  he  over¬ 
charges  a  little  for  his  work,  but  when  he  is  anxious  to  please  his 
customer  with  good  work,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  both  gold 
and  time  must  be  paid  for  that  have  contributed  to  the  result. 

We  will  now  describe  the  operation  of  gilding  a  broad  frame 
made  of  Alhambra  molding,  with  corners  and  a  broad  flat  Inside. 
As  a  general  rule  the  broad  flat  insides  to  frames  are  made  aepo- 


u 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


rate,  and  fit  into  the  rabbet  of  the  outside  frame  when  made. 
This  is  convenient  to  the  gilder,  as  he  gilds  the  flat  in  water  apart 
from  the  frame  it  is  made  to  fit. 

The  first  thing  the  workman  is  careful  to  do  is  to  see  that  the 
frame  is  free  from  dust,  dirt,  or  grease;  and  if  not,  to  wash  the 
frame  with  a  brush  and  clean  water,  care  being  taken  not  to  take 
off  the  sharpness  of  the  ornaments  in  the  operation.  After  it  is 
dry,  a  coat  of  thin  white  is  then  applied,  and  then  all  holes,  &c., 
are  made  good  by  stopping ,  and  the  parts  to  be  burnished  receive 
three  or  four  coats  of  thick  white.  When  the  last  coat  of  thick 
white  is  nearly  dry,  pass  over  the  parts  with  the  finger,  which 
will  help  to  smooth  the  rough  surfaces.  It  may  perhaps  puzzle 
a  novice  what  parts  should  be  burnished  in  various  descriptions 
of  work,  but  a  good  rule  will  be  to  take  the  most  prominent 
plain  parts  of  the  ornaments  and  the  beads;  and  in  the  case  of 
scrolls  on  a  chimney  glass,  the  scrolls  fixed  on  for  burnishing 
should  be  followed  throughout  with  burnish.  It  requires  taste 
and  judgment  to  so  distribute  the  burnish  in  any  work  that  it 
may  not  be  overdone  and  lose  its  effect,  but  judiciously  placed, 
so  that  the  matted  portions  will  stand  in  strong  contrast,  and  pro¬ 
duce  brilliant  work.  The  frame  is  then  carefully  and  thoroughly 
glass-papered  till  it  is  smooth,  when  it  receives  a  coat  of  thin 
white  mixed  with  clay,  and  is  again  glass-papered  and  brushed 
down.  Two  coats  of  dear  cole,  evenly  laid  on,  follow,  taking 
care  that  the  first  coat  is  thorougly  dry  before  the  second  is  laid 
on.  When  this  is  done  the  frame  is  put  in  oil,  in  the  same  way 
as  before  mentioned,  and  afterward  all  the  beads  and  ornaments 
which  have  received  the  coats  of  thick  white,  and  selected  for 
burnishing,  must  be  rubbed  clean  of  every  particle  of  oil.  This 
is  usually  done  by  wetting  a  piece  of  calico,  and  wringing  it  out: 
commence  by  putting  it  round  the  second  finger  of  the  right 
hand,  and  pass  it  carefully  over  the  parts  to  be  burnished, 
changing  the  surface  of  the  calico  on  the  finger  very  often. 
Should  any  of  the  other  parts  of  the  frame  be  touched  by  the 
damp  calico,  it  will  be  necessary  to  again  apply  the  oil  brush  to 
remedy  the  accident,  and  a  small  camel’s  hair  brush  will  some¬ 
times  be  needed  to  touch  in  small  imperfections.  Although  it  is 
thought  that  every  particle  of  grease  has  been  wiped  off,  yet  it  is 
necessary  the  next  morning,  before  laying  the  gold,  to  go  over 
all  the  parts  gone  over  with  the  damp  linen  with  clay.  This  is 
done  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  any  gold  adhering,  as  it  would 
have  to  be  glass-papered  off  before  putting  on  more  preparation. 
The  frame  is  then  gilded  as  before  described,  and  the  gold 
skewed  into  the  bottoms  of  the  ornaments;  after  which,  if  there 
are  any  “  faults”  in  the  gilding,  they  can  be  rectified  by  taking 


THE  GILDER’S  MAHUAL. 


15 


a  small  camel’s  hair  brush,  and  wetting  it  in  the  mouth ,  apply 
the  moist  brush  to  the  spot,  and  lay  gold  enough  to  cover  it. 
The  frame  must  then  b e  finish  sized  once,  as  before  mentioned. 

We  must  now  look  to  the  burnishes,  left  with  a  coat  of  clay. 
Matt  gold  size  must  be  mixed,  and  three  or  four  coats  must  be 
evenly  applied  with  a  camel’s  hair  brush.  When  dry,  it  should 
be  gone  over  with  a  damp  sponge.  On  this  surface  lay  two  coats 
of  burnish  gold  size  as  evenly  as  possible,  when  it  will  be  ready 
for  the  gold  as  soon  as  the  last  coat  is  dry.  We  must  now  lay 
the  gold  on  these  burnishes  in  a  different  manner  from  that  men¬ 
tioned  before,  and  we  will  first  gild  the  bead  running  round  the 
frame  between  the  parts  already  gilded  in  oil.  The  frame  is 
raised  on  the  left  hand,  so  as  to  be  at  an  inclination,  to  allow  the 
surplus  water  to  run  off,  when  we  must  be  provided  with  a  clean 
glass  of  water  and  camel’s  hair  pencils,  and  must  proceed  to 
work  in  the  following  manner  :  A  convenient  sized  camel’s  hair 
pencil  that  will  cover  the  bead  is  dipped  in  the  water,  and  scraped 
over  the  edge  of  the  glass,  and  beginning  at  the  left  hand  end  of 
the  bead,  proceed  to  wet  the  bead  for  five  or  six  inches  down, 
and  pass  the  brush  over  it  till  it  is  thorougly  soaked;  and  while 
the  water  is  yet  floating  on  the  bead,  the  strip  of  gold,  which  is 
•■eady  on  the  tip ,  must  be  laid  quickly  and  evenly. 

It  may  as  well  be  mentioned  that  with  water  gilding  the  gold 
cushion  is  held  as  usual  in  the  left  hand,  and  the  knife  and  tip 
are  held  between  the  fingers  beneath.  The  workman  commences 
by  cutting  strips  of  gold  leaf  the  necessary  width,  and  taking  up 
one  on  his  tip,  it  is  put  between  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand  till 
the  bead  is  ready  to  receive  the  gold;  the  brush  is  placed  in  the 
glass;  and  the  tip,  ready  with  gold  leaf,  is  taken  from  between 
the  fingers,  and  the  gold  applied  ;  after  which  another  strip  of 
gold  is  taken  up  on  the  tip,  and  it  is  returned  to  its  place  between 
the  fingers  of  the  left  hand  to  wait  till  another  piece  of  the  bead 
is  soaked,  and  ready  to  receive  it.  This  operation  is  continued 
till  the  whole  of  the  bead  is  covered ;  also  the  burnish  in  the 
corners,  &c.,  must  in  the  same  way  be  covered.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  mention  that  the  water  must  be  kept  from  the  gilded 
portions  of  the  frame  as  much  as  possible.  In  laying  a  bead,  it 
will  be  better  to  have  no  uneven  edges  to  the  gold  where  it  joins, 
as  it  will  make  it  more  solid  and  save  trouble.  Should  there  be 
a  defect  in  the  gold  caused  by  laying  on  or  other  causes,  it  must 
quickly  be  made  good  by  applying  more  gold  lightly  to  the  spot. 

The  whole  of  the  frame  is  now  covered  with  gold,  and  the 
beads  and  ornaments  just  laid  must  remain  till  they  are  dry, 
which  will  be  perhaps  two  hours,  unless  the  workman  is  in  $ 
warm  shop. 


16 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


Burnishing  out  the  gold  thus  laid  is  the  next  operation,  and  !i 
thus  performed  :  The  burnisher,  which  is  usually  curved  at  the 
end,  is  grasped  in  the  right  hand,  and  the  curved  part  applied  to 
the  work;  with  a  slight  pressure  from  the  thumb  of  the  left 
hand,  which  also  steadies  the  tool,  the  burnisher  is  rubbed  steadily 
backward  and  forward,  when  it  will  be  found  to  bring  up  a 
brilliant  burnish.  Sometimes  the  burnisher  is  used  at  the  point 
to  burnish  close  up  to  the  ornaments,  and  for  hollows,  &c. 
Burnishers  of  various  sizes  and  shapes  are  used  for  the  work  ;  a 
little  practice  will  enable  the  learner  to  soon  find  out  the  best 
shapes  for  the  work  in  hand. 

The  frame  in  hand  must  now  be  looked  carefully  over,  and  if 
any  “faults”  occur  round  the  base  of  any  of  the  burnished 
ornaments,  which  is  sometimes  the  case,  it  must  be  made  good 
as  before  described,  and  the  frame  again  finish  sized,  care  being 
taken  not  to  touch  the  burnished  parts  with  size,  when  the  work 
may  be  said  to  be  finished  so  far,  after  the  edge  has  been  yellowed 
with  ochre. 

The  broad  inside  flat  and  hollow  must  now  be  taken  in  hand, 
and  as  an  engraving  is  to  be  put  into  the  frame  when  it  is  finished, 
we  must  burnish  the  hollow ;  but  if  an  oil  painting  had  been 
going  into  the  finished  frame,  the  hollow  would  not  have  been 
burnished.  We  make  this  a  rule,  as  the  burnished  hollow  next 
to  a  painting  disturbs  the  eye,  which  ought  to  rest  in  repose  on 
the  picture ;  but  with  an  engraving  with  a  broad  white  margin, 
the  burnished  hollow  gives  a  more  finished  appearance  to  the 
whole,  and  the  white  margin  keeps  the  eye  from  wandering. 

The  inside  flat  and  hollow  is  about  one  and  a  half  inches  wide, 
and  in  order  to  make  it  look  well  it  must  be  carefully  prepared 
up,  and  double  gilt  in  water.  Large  flat  surfaces  tax  the  gilder’s 
skill,  so  as  to  make  the  whole  look  solid,  without  an  appearance 
of  a  join  in  the  gold.  Sometimes  the  miters  require  rubbing 
down  with  pumice  stone  and  water  if  they  have  not  been  neatly 
joined,  and  then  any  inequalities  in  the  surface  hollow  or  edge 
neatly  stopped ,  and  when  dry  carefully  rubbed  down  with  rather 
fine  glass  paper ,  when  a  coat  of  clay  is  evenly  put  on,  and  it  is 
again  glass  papered,  rubbed  down,  and  four  coats  of  matt  gold 
size  smoothly  put  on,  when  it  is  again  glass  papered  and  washed 
carefully  down  with  a  piece  of  cloth.  When  this  is  nearly  dry, 
take  a  piece  of  dry  cloth  and  briskly  rub  over  the  flat,  when  a 
polished  surface  will  be  the  result.  On  this  surface  lay  two 
coats  of  weak  size,  and  when  dry  it  is  ready  for  the  first  layer  of 
gold.  As  our  inside  flat  is  one  and  a  half  inches  broad,  the  gold 
leaf  will  have  to  be  cut  one  leaf  in  two.  Proceed  as  before 
stated  fo^  water  gilding,  taking  care  not  to  lay  the  gold  in  the 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL 


17 

hollow.  When  the  gold  is  laid  all  round,  the  work  must  be 
hang  up  until  quite  dry,  which  may  be  three  or  four  hours 
according  to  the  temperature  of  the  room.  When  dry,  lake  a 
piece  of  cotton  wool,  the  finest  is  sold  by  druggists,  and  rub  off 
the  superfluous  gold,  when  it  is  possible  a  lot  of  faults  in  the 
gold  will  be  discovered,  and  perhaps  what  is  called  “spiders’ 
legs  ”  will  be  seen ;  but  as  our  work  is  to  have  another  layer  of 
gold,  this  difficulty  will  be  got  over.  After  the  superfluous  gold 
is  rubbed  off,  a  coat  of  weak  size  must  be  put  on  the  gold,  and 
when  dry  two  coats  of  burnish  gold  size  in  the  hollow ;  when  dry 
the  work  is  ready  for  the  second  coat  of  gold,  which  must  be 
laid  on  as  before,  taking  care,  on  this  occasion,  to  lay  the  hollow 
with  the  flat.  When  dry,  the  hollow  must  be  burnished  carefully 
with  a  burnisher,  taking  care  the  tool  does  not  slip  over  the  matt, 
as  it  will  make  a  scratch  that  cannot  be  easily  got  out.  When 
the  matt  has  received  two  coats  of  finish  size,  the  inside  may  be 
said  to  be  finished. 

The  tyro  must  remember  never  to  touch  his  burnishes  with 
size  or  water,  and  hence  arises  the  necessity  of  sometimes  being 
obliged  to  change  the  order  of  the  processes  to  save  the  burnishes 
from  damage. 

The  faults  spoken  of  will  be  found  to  have  disappeared  with 
the  laying  of  the  second  layer  of  gold,  but  if  there  should  be  a 
fault  it  must  be  seen  to  before  the  finish  size  is  laid  on,  or  it  will 
show  very  badly,  and  spoil  what  would  otherwise  be  considered 
good  work. 


WHITE  AND  GOLD. 

In  many  of  the  best  drawing  rooms  of  the  present  day  suite* 
of  furniture  in  white  and  gold  are  used,  and  nothing  looks  so 
chaste  where  the  surrounding  colors  harmonize. 

This  class  of  work  requires  great  care  in  whitening  up  and 
preparing;  also  taste  and  judgment  to  decide  what  parts  of  the 
article  should  be  white,  matt,  or  burnish.  Brackets,  whatnots, 
console  tables,  chairs,  lounges,  and  many  other  articles  of  furni¬ 
ture  are  ordered  in  white  and  gold;  and  we  will  here  describe 
the  process  on  a  carved  chair,  when,  if  the  directions  are  fol¬ 
lowed  with  any  carved  article,  the  result  will  be  satisfactory. 

Chairs  are  oftentimes  delivered  into  the  gilder’s  hands  whitened 
up,  but  where  inis  is  not  done  it  is  necessary  to  carefully  whiten 
up  the  article,  being  particular  to  draw  up  the  whitening  so  that 
every  part  of  the  pattern  shall  be  sharp,  and  stand  out  well  ii l 
bold  relief,  according  to  the  directions  before  given  on  whiten¬ 
ing  up. 


18 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


As  the  back  and  seat  of  our  chair  are  to  be  needlework  it  wil. 
be  necessary  to  see  that  they  both  fit  in  tlieir  proper  places,  so 
that  the  gilding  may  not  be  damaged  when  finished. 

After  glass  papering,  we  must  decide  on  the  parts  to  white, 
burnish,  and  matt,  when  a  coat  of  day  must  be  applied  to  all  tho 
parts  required  to  be  gilt,  care  being  taken  not  to  go  over  the 
parts  decided  on  to  be  white,  and  the  work  will  proceed  in  the 
same  way  as  laid  down  for  water  gilding. 

When  all  the  gold  is  laid  and  burnished  out,  and  the  matt finish 
sized,  the  white  parts  must  receive  two  or  three  coats  of  flake 
white  and  parchment  size,  not  too  thick,  care  being  taken  to  give 
a  clean  finish  to  the  gilding  in  passing  over  it  with  a  camel’s 
hair  brush. 

If  the  work  is  ordered  to  be  varnished,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
give  the  white  two  coats  of  clear  size  to  prevent  the  varnish  from 
sinking  in,  when  the  chair  will  be  ready  to  receive  a  coat  of 
enamel  white  varnish.  With  this  operation  the  white  will 
become  a  cream  color. 

Articles  are  sometimes  got  up  in  mauve  and  other  delicate 
colors  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  purchaser.  Where  silver  leaf  is 
required  to  be  laid,  the  process  will  be  the  same  as  for  gold  leaf. 

Cheap  gilding,  so  called,  consists  in  laying  silver  leaf,  or  even 
tin  foil,  instead  of  gold  leaf,  and  then  varnishing  with  a  “gold 
coloring  varnish,”  for  a  recipe  of  which  see  toward  the  close  of 
this  volume. 


LOOKING-GLASS  FRAMES. 

During  the  latter  half  of  the  last  century  the  frames  for 
looking  glasses  were  of  a  set  and  decided  pattern,  and  were, 
generally  speaking,  more  architectural  in  their  character  than 
they  have  since  been.  There  was  a  broad  cornice  on  the  top, 
with  a  frieze  below  it,  on  which  was  represented  some  allegori¬ 
cal  subject;  the  sides  consisted  of  a  column  or  pillar  on  a  fiat 
ground.  The  Corinthian  order  was  sometimes  adopted,  and 
terminated  with  capitals  and  bases  of  the  same;  square  blocks 
were  placed  under  the  base,  and  the  cornice  was  supported  by 
the  capital.  This  style  was  succeeded  by  doing  away  with  the 
molding  and  frieze,  and  substituting  a  column  of  the  same  order 
as  the  sides.  Not  half  a  century  ago  the  columns  were  dispensed 
with  altogether.  The  sides  and  top  of  the  frame  were  made  of 
equal  width,  and  consisted  of  a  fiat  ground,  bounded  at  each 
edge  by  a  hollow  or  some  other  small  molding,  and  the  comers 
were  ornamented  by  carved  or  composition  ornaments. 

The  next  style  may  be  called  the  “  modem  antique,”  ia  which 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL.  1® 

the  style  of  the  times  of  Charles  II.,  Anne,  and  Louis  XIV.  pre 
vailed. 

At  the  present  time  glass  frames  are  made  of  every  descrip¬ 
tion  and  style,  so  that  any  style  of  furniture  can  be  matched, 
either  mediaeval  or  modern. 

There  are  two  shapes,  technically  called  “landscape"  and 
“pier."  The  “landscape”  glass  is  long,  and  the  “pier”  is  up 
right. 

Although  any  size  can  be  made  to  order,  yet  the  following 
are  standard  sizes,  and  frames  are  kept  in  stock  of  the  following 
sizes  rabbet  measure : 


PIER. 


40 

in. 

high 

by 

44 

in. 

high 

by 

50 

in. 

high 

by 

54 

in. 

high 

by 

56 

in. 

high 

by 

30  in.  broad. 
34  in.  broad. 
40  in.  broad. 
44  in.  broad. 
44  in.  broad. 


60  in.  high 
70  in.  high 
70  in.  high 
70  in.  high 
76  in.  high 


by  48  in.  broad 
by  44  in.  broad, 
by  50  in.  broad, 
by  30  in.  broad, 
by  48  in.  broad. 


LANDSCAPE. 

40  in.  broad  by  30  in.  high,  i  40  in.  broad  by  30  in.  high. 
44  in.  broad  by  34  in.  high.  |  60  in.  broad  by  40  in.  high. 


COMPOSITION  ORNAMENTS. 

The  ornaments  with  which  gold  frames  are  mounted  are  of 
comparatively  recent  date,  having  first  come  into  use  about  a 
century  ago  for  figures  on  chimney  pieces,  and  since  for  picture 
frames.  The  ornaments  are  made  from  a  mixture,  for  which  the 
following  recipe  will  be  found  to  answer  well;  any  quantity  can 
be  made  in  the  following  proportions  : 

RECIPE  FOR  COMPO. 

Boil  seven  pounds  of  the  best  glue  in  sevenhalf  pints  of  water, 
melt  three  pounds  of  best  rosin  in  three  pints  of  raw  linseed  oil. 
When  the  ingredients  are  well  boiled,  put  them  into  a  large 
vessel  and  simmer  them  for  half  an  hour,  stirring  it,  and  taking 
care  it  does  not  boil  over.  When  this  is  done,  pour  the  mixture 
into  a  large  quantity  of  whiting,  previously  sifted  and  rolled 
very  fine,  and  mix  it  to  the  consistence  of  dough,  and  it  is  ready 
for  molding  into  the  required  shapes.  The  above  compo  will 
keep  for  a  long  time  in  a  damp  place,  or  in  a  barrel  of  whiten 


20 


THE  GILHEK’S  MANUAL. 


Compo,  when  cold,  is  very  hard,  and  when  required  to  bo 
used  it  is  heated  by  means  of  steam,  when  it  assumes  the  consis¬ 
tence  of  dough. 

The  ornaments  are  made  by  pressing  the  compo  into  mold*. 
The  molds  are  made  of  boxwood,  and  the  required  ornament  is 
countersunk  in  the  wood  by  a  man  who  is  by  trade  a  mold  cutter. 

They  are  got  out  in  the  following  manner  : 

The  workman  takes  the  mold  and  well  brushes  into  it  oil  and 
turpentine,  to  prevent  the  composition  adhering  to  it.  When 
composition  enough,  in  a  warm  soft  condition,  is  rolled  up  in 
the  hands  into  a  convenient  form  to  go  into  the  mold,  it  is  pressed 
into  every  part  very  carefully  by  the  fingers,  and  then  a  board  or 
flat  surface  of  iron  is  wetted  and  placed  on  the  compo  still  out¬ 
side  the  mold,  when  the  whole  is  put  into  an  iron  screw  press, 
and  the  pressure,  which  is  but  for  a  few  moments,  drives  the 
compo  into  all  the  deep  parts  of  the  mold,  and  makes  the  board 
adhere  to  the  back  of  the  composition.  When  it  is  taken  out  of 
the  press,  the  mold  is  removed  from  the  ornament.  After  the 
compo  has  hardened  a  little,  the  ornament  is  cut  off,  and  the 
remaining  compo  sliced  off  to  be  again  heated  and  used.  The 
ornament,  when  first  cut  off,  is  very  soft  and  pliable,  and  can  be 
then  fitted  to  frames  having  beads  hollows,  &c.,  without  fear  of 
breaking.  These  ornaments  are  fixed  on  with  glue,  and  if  corners 
to  a  frame,  are  sometimes  supported  with  a  piece  of  compo 
behind  to  secure  them  in  the  position  required.  When  dry  they 
are  quite  hard  and  brittle,  and  are  then  to  be  lacked  up,  that  is, 
the  spaces  between  the  corner  and  the  frame  filled  up  with  compo 
softened  in  hot  water,  which  will  make  the  ornament  strong  and 
thicker  than  before.  The  mounting  of  these  ornaments  often¬ 
times  requires  skill  and  practice,  as  they  have  to  be  placed  on  a 
large  proportion  of  the  gilded  articles  sold  in  the  trade.  Some 
of  the  ornaments  when  made  require  supporting  in  other  ways 
oesides  that  mentioned,  as  in  the  case  of  distinct  fronds  of  ferns, 
a  wire  has  to  be  placed  throughout  the  back  of  the  ornament, 
and  secured  by  covering  or  backing  up  with  compo,  when  it  is 
found  this  beautiful  but  fragile  pattern  will  wear  well.  Brackets, 
cornices,  frames,  whatnots,  &c.,  each  require  the  ornaments 
mounted  so  as  to  be  graceful  and  suitable  to  the  design. 

For  cheaper  work  there  are  gilded  lead  ornaments  sold  at 
twenty-five  cents  per  pound  by  wholesale  molding  dealers. 

The  carver  and  gilder  has  a  stock  of  molds  to  suit  the  various 
descriptions  of  work.  As  we  have  remarked,  the  molding 
manufacturer  has  facilitated  the  work  of  the  carver  and  gilder, 
as  the  moldings  come  to  hand  ready  mounted  with  composition 
ornaments,  so  that  in  many  instances  the  picture  frame,  whea 


THE  GILDER^  MANUAL. 


21 


made,  only  requires  suitable  compo  corners  Where  looking 
glass  frames  are  made,  they  are  mounted  with  handsome  scrolls, 
&c. ,  except  where  the  pattern  required  is  heavy  and  unsuitable 
for  compo  work,  when,  as  mentioned  before,  the  scroll  pattern 
is  carved  out  of  soft  wood,  and  whitened  up. 

On  very  large  frames  the  ornaments  are  sometime  papiet 
mache ,  which  is  much  lighter.  These  ornaments  are  made  out 
of  paper  pulp,  which  is  pressed  between  two  molds,  and  the 
ornament,  when  pressed  comes  out  thin  and  hollow.  One  ad¬ 
vantage  of  these  ornaments  is  that,  if  let  fall,  they  are  not  so 
liable  to  break  as  compo. 

These  ornaments  are  not  held  in  favorable  estimation  by  the 
gilder,  as  the  paper  pulp  does  not  form  such  a  good  foundation 
for  gilding  as  wood  or  composition. 

FRENCH  OIL  GILDING  FOR  PICTURE  FRAMES  AND  IN¬ 
TERIOR  DECORATIONS. 

Oil  Gilding  is  employed,  with  varnish  polish,  upon  carriage^ 
mirror-frames,  and  other  furniture.  The  following  method  is 
employed  by  eminent  gilders  at  Paris. 

1.  White  lead,  with  half  its  weight  of  yellow  ochre,  and  a 
little  litharge,  are  separately  ground  very  fine  ;  and  the  whole  is 
then  tempered  with  linseed  oil,  thinned  with  spirits  of  turpen¬ 
tine,  and  applied  in  an  even  coat,  called  impression. 

2.  When  this  coat  is  quite  dry,  several  coats  of  best  flake  white 
very  finely  ground  with  raw  linseed  oil  and  thinned  for  use  with 
spirits  of  turpentine  as  it  is  used,  called  hard  tint  are  given,  even 
so  many  as  10  or  12,  should  the  surface  require  it,  for  smoothing 
and  filling  up  the  pores.  These  coats  are  given  daily,  leaving 
them  to  dry  in  the  interval  in  a  warm  sunny  exposure. 

3.  When  the  work  is  perfectly  dry,  it  is  first  softened  down 
with  pumice  stone  and  water,  afterward  with  worsted  cloth  and 
very  finely  powdered  pumice,  till  the  hwrd  tint  gives  no  reflection, 
and  is  smooth  as  glass. 

4.  With  a  camel’s  hair  brush,  there  must  be  given  lightly  and 
with  a  gentle  heat,  from  4  to  5  coats  at  least,  and  even  sometimes 
double  that  number,  of  fine  shellac  varnish. 

5.  When  these  are  dry,  the  grounds  of  the  panels  and  the 
carved  parts  must  be  first  polished  with  shave-grass  ;  and  next 
with  putty  of  tin  and  tripoli,  tempered  with  water,  applied  with 
woolen  cloth  ;  by  which  the  varnish  is  polished  till  it  shines  like 
a  mirror. 

6.  The  work  thus  polished  is  carried  into  a  hot  place,  free 
from  dust,  where  it  receives  very  lightly  and  smoothly  a  *hW 


22 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


coat  of  gold  color ,  much  softened  down .  This  is  merely  the  drega 
of  the  colors,  ground  and  tempered  with  oil,  which  remain  in  the 
little  dish  in  which  painters  clean  their  brushes.  This  substance 
is  extremely  rich  and  gluey  ;  after  being  ground  up,  and  passed 
through  fine  linen  cloth,  it  forms  the  ground  for  gold  leaf.  This 
coat  is  passed  over  it  with  a  clean  soft  brush,  and  the  thinner  it 
is  the  better. 

7.  Whenever  the  gold  color  is  dry  enough  to  take  the  gold, 
which  is  ascertained  by  laying  the  back  of  the  hand  on  a  corner  of 
the  frame  work,  the  gilding  is  begun  and  finished  as  usual. 

8.  The  gold  is  smoothed  off  with  a  very  soft  brush,  one  of 
camel’s  hair,  for  example,  of  three  fingers’  breadth  ;  after  which 
it  is  left  to  dry  for  several  days. 

9.  It  is  then  varnished  with  a  spirit  of  wine  varnish,  and  then 
treated  with  the  chafing  dish  as  follows :  The  workman  with  a 
lighted  chafing  dish  holds  the  flame  near  the  gilding  for  a  mo¬ 
ment  and  then  passes  on.  He  must  not  stop  any  length  of  time 
at  any  one  spot  or  he  will  spoil  the  work.  This  gives  a  fine  luster 
to  the  varnish  coat,  as  it  melts  the  small  upward  projections  and 
brush  marks  down  to  a  perfect  dead  level. 

10.  When  this  varnish  is  dry,  two  or  three  coats  of  copal  or 
oil  varnish  are  applied,  at  intervals  of  two  days. 

11.  Finally,  the  panels  are  polished  with  a  worsted  cloth,  with 
Tripoli  and  water,  and  luster  is  given  by  friction  with  the  palm 
of  the  hand,  previously  softened  with  a  little  olive  oil,  taking 
care  not  to  rub  off  the  gold. 

FRENCH  BURNISH  GILDING-. 

Gilding  in  distemper  of  the  French,  is  the  same  as  our  burnished 
or  water  gilding.  Their  process  seems  to  be  very  elaborate, 
and  the  best  consists  of  17  operations  ;  each  of  them  said  to  be 
essential. 

1.  Encollage ,  or  the  glue  coat.  To  a  decoction  of  wormwood 
and  garlic  in  water,  strained  through  a  cloth,  a  little  common 
salt  and  some  vinegar  are  added.  This  composition,  as  being 
destructive  of  worms  in  wood,  is  mixed  with  as  much  good  glue  ; 
and  the  mixture  is  spread  in  a  hot  state,  with  a  brush  of  boar’s 
hair.  When  plaster  or  marble  is  to  be  gilded,  the  salt  must  be 
left  out  of  the  above  composition,  as  it  is  apt  to  attract  humidity 
in  damp  places,  and  to  come  out  as  a  white  powder  on  the  glid¬ 
ing.  But  the  salt  is  indispensable  for  wood.  The  first  glue 
coating  is  made  thinner  than  the  aecond. 

2.  White  preparation.  This  consists  in  covering  the  above 
•urface  with  8,  10,  or  12  coats  of  Spanish  white,  mixed  up  with 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


23 


strong  size,  each  well  worked  on  with  the  brush  and  in  some 
measure  incorporated  with  the  preceding  coat,  to  prevent  their 
peeling  off  in  scales. 

3.  Stopping  up  the  pores,  with  thick  whiting  and  glue,  and 
smoothing  the  surface  with  dog-skin. 

4.  Polishing  the  surface  with  pumice-stone  and  very  cold 
water. 

5.  Reparation  ;  in  which  a  skillful  artist  repairs  all  defects. 

6.  Cleansing  ;  with  a  damp  linen  rag,  and  then  a  soft  sponge. 

7.  Preler.  This  is  nibbing  with  shave-grass  the  parts  to  be 
yellowed,  in  order  to  make  them  softer. 

8.  Yellowing.  With  this  view  yellow  ochre  is  carefully  ground 
in  water,  and  mixed  with  transparent  colorless  size.  The  thin¬ 
ner  part  of  this  mixlure  is  applied  hot  over  the  white  sunace 
with  a  fine  brush,  which  gives  it  a  fine  yellow  hue. 

9.  Ungraining  consists  in  rubbing  the  whole  work  with  shave- 
grass,  to  remove  any  granular  appearance. 

10.  Coat  of  assiette;  trencher  coat.  This  is  the  composition  on 
whicn  the  gold  is  to  be  laid.  It  is  composed  of  Armenian  bole, 
1  pound  ;  oxide  of  iron  (best  red  chalk  or  jeweler’s  rouge),  2 
ounces  ;  and  as  much  plumbago  ;  each  separately  ground  in 
water.  The  whole  are  then  mixed  together,  and  ground  up  with 
about  a  spoonful  of  olive  oil.  The  assiette  well  made  and  applied 
gives  beauty  to  the  gilding.  The  assiette  is  tempered  with  a  white 
sheep  skin  glue,  very  clear  and  well  strained.  This  mixture  is 
heated  and  applied  in  three  successive  coats,  with  a  very  fine 
long-haired  brush. 

Rubbing,  with  a  piece  of  dry,  clean  linen  cloth  ;  except  the 
parts  to  be  burnished,  which  are  to  receive  two  more  coats  of 
assiette  tempered  with  glue. 

12.  Gilding.  The  surface,  being  damped  with  cold  watei 
(iced  in  summer),  has  then  the  gold  leaf  applied  to  it.  The  hol¬ 
low  grounds  must  always  be  gilded  before  the  prominent  parts. 
Water  is  dexterously  applied  by  a  soft  brush,  immediately  be¬ 
hind  the  gold  leaf,  before  laying  it  down,  which  makes  it  lie 
smoother.  Any  excess  of  water  is  then  removed  with  a  dry 
brush. 

13.  Burnishing  with  bloodstone. 

14.  Deadening.  This  consists  in  passing  a  thin  coat  of  glue, 
slightly  warmed,  over  the  parts  that  are  not  to  be  burnished. 

15.  Mending ;  that  is  moistening  any  broken  points  with  a 
brush,  and  applying  bits  of  gold  leaf  to  them. 

16.  The  vermeil  coat.  Vermeil  is  a  liquid  which  gives  luster 
and  fire  to  the  gold  ;  and  makes  it  resemble  ormolu.  It  is  com¬ 
posed  as  follows  :  2  ounces  of  annotto,  1  ounce  of  gamboge,  1 


24 


THE  GILDER'S  MANUAL. 


ounce  of  vermilion,  half  an  ounce  of  dragon’s  blood,  2  ounces  ol 
salt  of  tartar,  and  18  grains  of  saffron,  are  boiled  in  a  litre  (2 
pints  English)  of  water,  over  a  slow  fire,  till  the  liquid  be  re¬ 
duced  to  a  fourth.  The  whole  is  then  passed  through  a  silk  or 
muslin  sieve.  A  little  of  this  is  made  t  >  glide  lightly  over  the 
gold,  with  a  very  soft  brush. 

17.  Repassage  is  passing  over  the  dead  surfaces  a  second  coat 
of  deadening  glue,  which  must  be  hotter  than  the  first.  Thii 
finishes  the  work,  and  gives  it  strength. 


RE-GILDING. 


The  large  variety  of  articles  supplied  new  by  the  trade  in  the 
course  of  time  require  renovation  and  re-gilding,  but  this  process 
differs  but  little  from  that  of  gilding  a  new  article  in  the  white. 
There  are  a  few  things  necessary  to  look  to,  not  generally  re¬ 
quired  in  new  work,  and  we  will  now  mention  them 

If  the  article  required  to  be  re-gilt  is  the  frame  of  a  chimney 
glass,  the  back  must  be  carefully  taken  out,  and  the  wedges 
holding  the  glass  in  its  place  must  be  removed,  taking  care  they 
do  not  touch  or  scratch  the  back  of  the  glass,  and  the  glass  taken 
out.  Take  off  the  ornaments  on  the  top  and  the  sides,  if  they 
are  not  compo,  taking  notice  how  again  to  secure  them  in  their 
place.  The  ornaments  are  put  on  with  screws  from  the  back  of 
the  frame,  or  with  brads  and  needle  points.  Dust  well  down 
both  frame  and  ornaments,  and  be  particular  to  see  well  to  the 
rabbet  that  no  particles  of  quicksilver  remain,  as  any  quicksilver 
coming  in  contact  with  your  newly-gilt  frame  will  turn  the  gold 
black. 

Proceed  to  wash  off  all  the  old  geld,  and  shell  up  any  of  the 
preparation  that  is  not  firm  ;  also  ornaments  that  may  be  loose 
on  the  back  or  sight  edge  of  the  frame.  A  piece  of  cloth  will  be 
found  to  be  the  best  thing  to  clean  off  the  old  gold,  as  there  is 
more  friction  than  in  a  sponge,  but  the  sponge  will  be  useful 
when  the  gold  is  removed  to  carefully  go  over  the  frame.  If  the 
frame  Las  been  varnished  or  gilt  in  oil,  glass  paper  must  be  used 
till  all  the  gold  is  removed,  when  a  slight  wash  over  to  remove 
all  the  remaining  particles  of  dust  will  be  advisable.  If  in  wash 
ing  the  frame  you  find  any  of  the  preparation  blister  up,  you 
will  know  it  in  bad,  and  the  parts  blistered  must  in  scraped  off 


THE  GILDEItJ3  MANUAL. 


25 


down  to  the  wood,  and  when  dry  a  coat  of  thin  white  of  medium 
strength  applied.  Of  course  these  remarks  will  be  applicable  to 
the  ornaments  as  well  as  the  frame  ;  and  if  you  whiten  the  backs 
of  the  ornaments,  be  particular  not  to  let  any  run  on  to  the  front; 
if  it  should  do  so,  see  that  it  is  removed  before  it  is  dry,  or 
smooth  it  down. 

Glue  on  to  the  backs  of  the  ornaments  some  blocks  of  wood 
about  an  inch  high,  when  they  will  be  found  most  useful  in 
keeping  the  work  from  rubbing  on  the  bench,  and  also  to  catch 
hold  of  in  laying  on  the  preparations  and  gold.  The  ornaments 
and  frame  are  now  ready  for  stopping ,  and  making  good  all  defi¬ 
ciencies,  either  in  ornaments  or  preparation,  and  when  the  stop¬ 
ping  is  dry  to  glass  paper  over,  and  give  another  r-<at  of  thin 
white,  and  then  the  parts  to  be  burnished  should  have  three  or 
four  coats  of  thick  white  with  a  camel’s  hair  brush.  The  frame 
will  now  go  on  the  same  as  new  work  before  mentioned  until  it 
Is  finished. 

If  the  work  under  hand  be  picture  frames  where  the  ornaments 
ire  broken  and  lost,  they  must  be  made  good.  Sometimes  this 
can  be  accomplished  by  softening  compo,  and  putting  it  on  to 
the  part  deficient,  and  with  the  modelers  fashion  it  out  to  match 
the  other  ornaments.  But  where  the  pattern  is  small  and  difficult 
to  imitate,  the  usual  method  is  to  take  a  model  as  follows  : — 

TO  TAKE  A  MODEL  IN  COMPO. 

If  it  is  found  necessary,  in  making  or  repairing,  to  replace 
broken  ornaments  on  a  frame,  it  is  often  a  saving  of  time  to 
take  a  model  of  the  ornament  required  from  a  good  one  still  re¬ 
maining  on  the  frame.  Sometimes  a  strip  of  running  leaf  is  de¬ 
ficient  on  the  back  or  sight  edge,  when  a  piece  long  enough  for 
our  purpose  shells  up  from  the  frame.  If  the  ornament  is  loose 
from  the  frame,  glue  it  down  on  a  flat  piece  of  wood,  and  tack 
round  it,  leaving  a  margin,  slips  of  wood  about  half  an  inch  high, 
and  with  the  brush  used  for  oiling  the  wood  molds,  oil  the  in¬ 
side  and  the  ornament,  Warm  the  compo,  and  then  with  the 
fingers  well  squeeze  in  enough  compo  to  fill  the  place.  When 
it  is  hardened,  the  mold  may  be  removed  from  the  ornament, 
and  a  good  mold  will  be  found  to  be  the  result,  from  wkteh 
(when  thoroughly  hardened),  as  many  ornaments  may  be  made, 
in  the  same  way  as  before  described  for  the  wood  molds,  as  are 
wanted.  If  only  part  of  an  ornament  is  required,  it  is  cut  to  the 
required  size,  and  either  put  in  or  stuck  on  and  backed  up  as  the 
case  may  be. 

If  the  ornament  to  be  molded  is  on  the  frame,  it  will  not 
oftentimes  be  found  necessary  or  convenient  to  have  slips  of 


26 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


r 


wood  to  keep  the  compo  from  spreading,  as,  if  a  good  lump  of 
compo  is  used,  a  mold  can  be  made  good  enough  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  by  proceeding  as  before  mentioned.  This  method  will  be 
found  to  answer  to  replace  ornaments  on  any  article  where  the 
compo  ornaments  require  mending  or  replacing,  but  where  there 
is  no  ornament  left  to  mold  from,  oftentimes  molds  that  you 
have  in  stock  will  answer  the  purpose  ;  if  not,  suitable  ornaments 
must  be  ordered  from  the  dealers. 


LEAP  GILDING  ON  BRASS. 

It  is  necessary  to  say  a  few  words  on  gilding  brass  articles,  as 
they  occassionally  come  to  the  gilder  to  renovate. 

The  brass  ends  of  cornice  poles,  ornaments,  the  ornamental 
brass  on  cabinets,  and  a  variety  of  small  articles  are  sent  to  the 
local  gilder,  and  these  articles  can  be  done  up  on  the  premises 
without  sending  them  to  be  re-lacquered,  and  will  look  much 
better  and  lai*  as  long. 

First  wash  the  brass  ornaments  in  strong  soda  and  water,  well 
brushing  om>  the  bottoms :  and  when  clean  and  dry,  go  over 
them  with  Fiench  polish  laid  on  with  a  brush.  Put  the  orna¬ 
ments  “  in  oil  ”  in  the  usual  way  and  gild,  when  they  will  be 
found  to  look  a  good  color,  and  the  gold  will  not  be  liable  to 
scratch  off.  The  thin  coat  of  French  polish*  has  been  found  to 
be  a  good  foundation  for  the  gold,  as  there  is  no  shelling  up. 
Where  the  articles  are  required  to  bear  a  brilliant  burnish  they 
had  better  be  re-lacquered. 

TO  FROST  A  CARDBOARD  MOUNT  IN  GOLD  OR  SILVER. 

Mounts  to  be  frosted  should  be  made  out  of  stout  cardboard, 
so  that  the  preparations  laid  on  do  not  cause  it  to  warp. 

Give  the  mount  first  two  coats  of  thin  parchment  size,  and 
when  dry  a  good  coat  of  oil  gold  size.  Throw  on  in  sufficient 
quantity,  fine,  middle,  or  coarse  emery  to  well  cover  the  surface, 
(as  you  may  want  the  frosting  coarse  or  fine),  and  allow  the  sur¬ 
plus  not  adhering  to  the  oil  to  roll  off  again.  Lay  the  mount 
flat  till  the  morning,  or  till  the  emery  is  fast  on  the  suiface. 
There  should  then  be  a  coat  of  whitening  and  size  lightly  laid  on, 
so  as  not  to  disturb  the  emery,  and  when  it  is  dry  a  coat  of  clay 
and  another  coat  of  oil  gold  size,  and  left  till  the  following  morning, 
when  gold  or  silver  leaf  may  be  laid,  and  finish  sized.  These 
mounts  are  very  effective  for  portraits  or  other  small  works  of 
art. 


’See  page  134. 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


27 


TO  GILD  OAK  AND  OTHER  HARD  WOOD. 

It  is  sometimes  required  to  gild  the  bare  wood,  so  as  to  show 
the  grain.  This  may  be  done  to  look  very  well  with  oak  and 
other  hard  wood,  but  with  soft  wood  the  grain  would  rise,  and 
present  a  very  rough  appearance. 

Well  glass  paper  down  the  surface  to  be  gilt,  and  apply  two 
coats  of  strong  parchment  size,  and  when  dry,  oil  gold  size. 
The  gold  can  be  laid  when  this  is  nearly  dry,  and  will  brush  off 
bright. 

The  above  is  suitable  for  the  bevels  of  oak  Oxford  frames, 
screens,  church  decorations,  and  any  hard  wood. 

TO  GILD  A  CARDBOARD  MOUNT. 

Lay  on  three  coats  of  matt,  and  lightly  wash  and  rub  down 
with  a  piece  of  cloth  to  get  a  perfectly  smooth  surface ;  weak  size^ 
and  gild  according  to  instruction  in  water  gilding. 

The  mount  to  be  gilt  should  be  made  of  stout  cardboard. 

GILDING  PLASTER  CASTS,  BRACKETS,  &0. 

Fasten  a  pledget  of  tow  or  a  piece  of  sponge  to  the  end  of  a 
stick  ;  immerse  it  in  olive  oil,  and  daub  the  cast  plentifully  with 
it  ;  in  two  hours  this  will  be  absorbed;  the  operation  must  be 
repeated  again  and  again  until  the  plaster  is  saturated  to  suet  a 
degree  that  it  ceases  to  absorb  the  oil  readily  ;  then  leave  the 
cast  in  a  dry  place  for  twenty-four  hours.  With  a  soft  brush  lay  a 
thin  and  even  coating  of  thin  glue  (made  of  the  best  white)  over 
the  whole  surface.  Again  leave  it  to  dry  ;  then  have  ready 
japanner’s  gold  size  and  sufficient  gold  leaf.  When  the  cast  or 
bracket  is  perfectly  dry,  coat  a  portion  of  it  evenly,  and  not  too 
thickly,  with  the  gold  size  ;  and  when  that  is  nearly  dry,  (which 
will,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  be  in  about  ten  minutes), 
apply  the  gold  leaf,  previously  cutting  it  into  pieces  of  the  re¬ 
quisite  size,  or  laying  it  on  where  practicable  by  the  page. 
After  carefully  gilding  the  whole,  dust  away  superfluous  bits 
with  a  clean  dry,  soft  brush,  and  burnish  portions  here  and 
there  with  a  hook-shaped  pettle,  or  agate  burnisher.  When 
durability  is  desired,  rather  than  brilliancy  of  effect  apply  a  coat 
of  copal  varnish. 


28 


THB  OILDBB’fl  MANCJAI* 


GILDING  FOR  SIGNS  ON  WOOD. 


SIZES  FOR  GILDING  SIGNS  ON  WOOD. 

Before  considering  this  branch  of  the  sign  painter’s  art  it  will 
be  best  to  treat  upon  the  various  sizes  in  general  use  among  them. 

Let  every  painter  make  his  own  size,  and  then  he  will  be  less 
likely  to  be  a  stranger  to  what  he  wants.  If  it  be  too  slow  in 
drying,  or  if  it  dries  too  quickly,  he  will  be  able  to  know  what 
is  required  to  make  it  right. 

An  excellent  size  is  made  by  putting  boiled  oil  in  a  good  stone 
pot ;  place  it  upon  a  slow  fire,  and  let  it  rise  to  such  a  heat  as 
nearly  to  ignite  ;  then  with  a  match  or  bit  of  lighted  paper  set 
fire  to  it,  and  let  it  burn  for  a  few  minutes,  so  as  to  thicken  ; 
then  lake  a  piece  of  cloth  and  cover  the  pot,  to  put  out  the  flame, 
and  it  will  then  be  like  syrup  or  thin  tar. 

This  done,  strain  it  through  a  silk  stocking  or  handkerchief 
into  a  bottle  and  keep  it  closely  corked.  When  you  wish  to  use 
it,  thin  it  with  turpentine,  but  be  careful  and  not  use  it  too  thin. 

Another  Recipe. — Another  good  size  for  gilding  may  be 
made  in  this  way  :  Procure  some  pure  old  drying  oil,  the  older 
the  better;  grind  into  it  some  ochre  and  a  little  of  the  best 
quality  of  red  lead  ;  then  thin  it  to  a  proper  consistence  ;  form 
your  letters  carefully,  laying  it  very  even  and  thin,  and  let  your 
work  stand  until  so  dry  as  only  to  have  sufficient  “tack”  to  hold 
your  leaf.  Apply  the  leaf  with  a  gilder’s  tip  carefully  and  lay  it 
smooth  with  a  flat  camel-hair  brush  or  a  ball  of  fine  cotton  wool, 
but  do  not  brush  oil  all  the  superfluous  gold  until  you  are  sure 
thfit  the  under  size  is  perfectly  dry  and  hard.  This  gives  the 
gold  its  full  brilliancy  and  stands  the  weather  well. 

Quick  Drying  Size. — Take  a  little  good,  quick-drying  copal 
varnish  ;  add  to  it  a  small  quantity  of  your  old  boiled  drying 
oil,  just  enough  to  give  it  “  tack,’'  and  when  dry  enough  lay 
your  leaf  as  before  directed  in  page  29. 

A  Size  known  to  but  few. — Take  one  pound  of  good,  pure 
drying  oil  ;  put  it  in  a  metal  pot  with  a  cover  ;  slowly  add  to 
this,  after  it  has  come  almost  to  a  boiling  point,  four  ounces  of 
pure  gum  animi  (not  copal  ;  gum  dealers  are  of  the  opinion 
generally  that  animi  and  copal  are  one  and  the  same,  but  such 
is  not  the  case).  Have  your  animi  reduced  to  a  fine  powder  ; 
(ake  it  upon  the  point  of  your  pallet-knife  and  put  it  in  caution*- 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


20 


ly,  little  by  little,  until  you  have  it  all  in,  allowing  time  to  dis¬ 
solve,  and  all  the  while  keep  stirring  the  mixture.  Boil  to  the 
consistency  of  tar,  and  while  warm  strain  it  through  a  piece  of 
silk  inio  a  heated,  wide-mouthed  bottle  ;  keep  well  corked,  and 
when  required,  thin  with  turpentine  and  mix  thoroughly.  If 
you  grind  a  little  vermilion  with  this  size  it  will  show  you  what 
you  are  doing  when  using  it. 

This  size  will  gild  on  glass,  china,  metal,  signs,  and  nearly 
everything,  and  if  properly  made  has  no  equal  ;  being  more 
durable,  it  gives  more  luster  to  the  gold  than  any  other  size,  and 
has  the  very  singular  property  of  retaining  the  “tack”  longer 
than  any  size  known. 

This  is  the  “secret  size,”  used  by  the  best  artists  in  London 
and  Paris,  and  the  one  used  by  the  justly  celebrated  japanners 
of  Birmingham,  who  produce  the  finest  work  in  decoration  to  be 
found  in  the  world’s  market. 

The  artist  must  be  furnished  with  a  gilder’s  cushion,  with 
parchment  back  and  ends  ;  a  knife  to  cut  his  gold  ;  a  “  tip,”  or 
brush,  to  lift  his  leaf  with  ;  a  ball  of  cotton  wool,  and  a  flat 
camel-hair  brush  to  clean  off  with. 

Take  a  little  clean  tallow  on  the  back  of  the  left  hand,  and 
then  draw  the  “tip”  quietly  over  the  tallow  and  it  will  receive 
enough  to  take  up  the  gold.  Then  place  it  lightly  upon  the  work, 
to  which  it  will  adhere  readily,  and  so  continue  until  all  your 
sized  work  has  been  covered  with  it. 

The  next  thing  to  do  is  to  pad  it  down  lightly  with  your  cotton 
ball,  being  careful  to  omit  no  portion  of  it,  for  if  a  mistake  oc 
curs  on  the  first  going  over,  you  will  find  it  very  difficult  to 
mend  it  afterward.  So  be  particular  in  your  work  and  miss  no 
part  of  it.  As  before  stated,  do  not  thoroughly  brush  off  your 
work  until  entirely  dry. 

Always,  when  gilding,  try  your  size  upon  a  piece  of  painted 
board  or  glass,  in  order  to  determine  accurately  the  length  of 
time  it  requires  to  dry.  If  it  dries  too  quick,  add  some  oil.  If 
you  size  to  day  and  gild  to-morrow,  and  should  you  find  the  size 
too  dry  in  the  morning,  you  will  have  to  add  a  little  old,  fat,  raw 
linseed  oil,  as  this  tempers  it  so  that  you  can  set  your  own  time 
for  the  gilding.  A  few  experiments  in  this  connection  will  en¬ 
able  you  to  master  and  regulate  the  nature  and  operation  of  size. 

For  a  Size  Exposed  to  the  Weather. — One  thing  has 
been  proved  by  experience,  that  is,  that  no  gilding  exposed  to 
the  extremes  of  summer  and  winter,  wet  and  dry,  cloud  and  sun¬ 
shine,  should  ever  be  varnished. 

The  bare  gold,  if  good,  and  on  good  size,  will  stand  better, 
change  less,  retain  its  luster  longer,  with  less  liability  to 


30 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


“dulce,M  or  crach,  than  when  varnished,  although  done  with 
the  best  copal  varnish  ever  made. 

I  have  seen  a  sign  done  with  gold,  upon  a  black  ground,  that 
had  stood  the  weather  forty  years  !  The  board  had  given  way  to 
the  effects  of  the  weather,  and  had  fallen  away  in  many  places, 
leaving  the  letters  standing  out  bold,  in  good  form  and  wTell  pre¬ 
served.  So  much  for  good  size  and  no  varnish. 


GILDING  ON  GLASS  FOR  SIGNS. 


This  beautiful  art  is  worked  in  many  different  ways,  every 
artist  having  his  own  peculiar  method. 

One  very  good  way  is  to  first  outline  with  a  piece  of  hard  soap 
your  letters,  scrolls,  etc.,  (on  the  outside)  then  commence  to  out¬ 
line  on  the  glass  (inside;  with  some  suitable  color,  a  light  shade 
line  for  the  top  and  left  side  of  the  letter  ;  then  upon  the  bottom 
and  right  side  of  them  use  a  black,  or,  in  fact,  almost  any  color 
you  may  select.  When  dry  proceed  to  lay  on  your  gold. 

Some  use  gin,  some  whisky,  others  simply  water  ;  gum  arabic  in 
solution,  or  white  of  egg,  may  be  used.  One  can  merely  breathe 
upon  the  glass  and  it  will  sometimes  answer  the  purpose  of  a 
“  tack  ”  for  the  gold. 

I  have  found  an  excellent  size,  made  from  a  solution  of  gum 
tragacanth  in  water.  The  first  part  that  dissolves  is  the  part 
that  suits  best  ;  that  port) on  being  pure,  while  the  residue  is 
cloudy  and  unfit  for  use. 

When  wanted  to  use,  reduce  a  portion  of  the  gum  with  wra*er 
to  a  very  wTcak  standard,  as  in  all  cases  you  will  find  your  gilding 
bright  in  exact  ratio  to  the  thinness  and  transparency  of  your  size. 
I  consider  this  the  most  desirable  size,  especially  for  large  work. 

Note.— For  the  instruction  on  Gilding  for  Signs ,  and  the  other  informa¬ 
tion  given  from  page  28  to  33  inclusive,  credit  is  due  to  “  Haney’s  Manual  of 
Sign,  Carriage,  ancl  Decorative  Painting.”  In  our  present  work  we  aim  to 
give  full  information  on  Gilding  in  all  its  branches,  and  all  necessary  in¬ 
struction  on  matters  directly  relating  thereto.  A  multitude  of  valuable  and 
interesting  matters,  which  every  sign,  carriage  and  ornamental  painter 
should  be  in  possession  of,  do  not  come  appropriately  within  the  scope  or 
capacity  of  tnis  book,  and  we  recommend  all  interested  in  those  branches 
to  refer  to  the  “  Manual  of  Sign,  Carriage  and  Decorative  Painting  ”  for  a 
full  and  practical  course  of  instruction  in  those  branches.  The  articles  on 
Gilding  which  we  quote  are  a  sufficient  evidence  of  the  familiarity  of  the 
yi^hnr  with  the  subjects  which  he  treats 


THE  GILBERTS  MANUAL. 


Si 


OUTLINING  UPON  GLASS. 

First  Method. — Draw  your  lines  upon  the  glass  at  the  proper 
distances  for  the  size  of  your  letters,  etc.,  with  a  piece  of  hard 
soap,  which  will  make  very  distinct  lines.  Then  form  your 
.etters  accurately,  and  in  true  distances  or  space,  one  from  the 
other,  being  satisfied  that  all  your  proportions,  etc.,  are  correct. 
You  will  now  be  ready  to  commence  your  gilding. 

Second  Method. — Have  your  letters,  etc.,  diawn  out  on  fine 
paper  ;  prick  with  a  pin  the  outlines  of  your  letters,  scrolls,  etc 
Next  t»ke  *  bag  made  of  muslin,  filled  with  fine  powdered  char¬ 
coal  ;  lay  the  paper  carefully  to  its  proper  place  ;  then  pounce 
the  charcoal  bag  against  the  paper,  and  you  can  then  trace  the 
outlines  in  full  with  black  japan.  To  make  all  secure  it  will  be 
necessary  to  give  the  work  two  or  three  coats,  and  when  dry, 
wash  or  mb  off  all  superfluities  with  a  sponge  or  soft  cotton  rag. 

N.  B. — This  method  is  only  used  after  gilding,  where  the  lea. 
is  placed  full  without  any  outline. 

Third  Method. — To  get  accurate  lines  upon  glass,  preparatory 
to  gilding.  In  the  first  place,  clean  the  glass  thoroughly  ;  then 
with  a  mixture  of  whiting,  water,  and  a  little  milk,  brush  care¬ 
fully  all  over  the  outside  of  the  glass.  When  dry,  draw  your 
parallel  lines,  letters,  scrolls,  etc.,  with  a  pointed  stick. 

For  small  work,  turn  the  glass  around,  and  letter  backward. 
If  inside  of  a  window,  work  upon  the  same  principle.  This  is 
an  easy  and  a  true  method  of  forming  your  lettering  or  ornamen¬ 
tation,  as  any  fault  in  the  drawing  can  be  easily  corrected. 

Fourth  Method. — In  this  plan  it  is  necessary  that  the  glass 
should  be  perfectly  accessible  on  both  sides — say  for  instance  a 
glass  door.  The  painter  begins  by  painting  the  letters  just  as  he 
wishes  to  have  them — (unless  he  wishes  to  give  them  a  shade  in 
color,  in  which  case  he  outlines  the  shadow)  with  a  mixture  of 
gum  water  and  drop  black  on  the  front  of  the  glass.  Then 
going  to  the  other  side,  or  back  of  the  door,  he  gilds  as  hereafter 
described.  This  obviates  all  difficulty  about  writing  letters 
backward — as  he  has  only  to  follow  the  lines  he  sees  through  the 
gold.  Of  course,  in  shaded  letters,  he  only  fastens  the  gilding 
over  the  body  of  the  letter  with  black  japan,  and  when  the  gold 
is  nibbed  off,  he  adds  the  shades.  This  method  seems,  in 
description,  to  take  longer  time  than  either  of  the  others— but  it 
really  takes  less. 

MODUS  OPERANDI  FOR  GILDINO  ON  GLASS, 

Whichever  size  you  agree  upon,  lay  it  on  with  a  full  pencil, 
and  proceed  with  your  gold  at  once,  so  as  to  secure  a  solid 


32 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


**  cover”  without  being  obliged  to  “  touch  up,”  and  if  you  wish 
to  u  e  two  coats  of  gold,  blow  your  breath  upon  the  first  coat  to 
hold  the  second. 

Lay  as  much  gold  as  possible  before  your  size  dries,  and  so 
proceed  until  your  lines  are  finished.  Then  rub  it  down  gently 
to  remove  the  superfiuous  gold.  Then  proceed  to  outline  as  in 
second  method  given  ;  or  draw  your  parallel  lines  through  the 
gilding  (if  in  capitals  of  one  given  length)  and  cut  in  your  letters 
with  black  ja:ain  very  carefully,  forming  them  all  backward.  . 
This  is  the  principle  of  the  first  method,  but  it  requires  consi¬ 
derable  practice  to  do  it  correctly. 

If  any  ornament  is  wanted  in  the  body  of  the  letters,  lay  them 
in  with  oil  size.  When  dry,  gild  and  shade  if  required.  When 
all  is  dry,  lay  in  the  entire  letter  with  the  size  (spirit  or  water 
size)  and  gild  and  back,  as  above,  viz  :  with  two  or  three  coats 
of  black  japan. 

The  shading  is  done  afterward,  and  in  any  colors  the  artist  may 
decide  upon.  It  generally  takes  two  coats  to  cover  solid  upon 
glass.  Gilding  upon  glass  requires  great  practice  and  nice  hand 
ling,  but  with  proper  care,  this  process  looks  very  beautiful  and 
stands  well. 

Silver  leaf  is  laid  on  in  the  same  manner,  only  it  requires  a 
Jittle  stronger  size  than  the  gold  calls  for.  The  silver  being 
heavier  relatively,  use  the  size  of  gum  tragacanth. 

One  point  seems  rather  difficult — that  of  having  to  form  tlit 
letters  backward,  but  practice  is  the  only  thing  that  will  make 
perfect  in  this  respect,  and  enough  of  it  will  make,  what  at  first 
seems  a  difficulty,  as  easy  as  the  formation  of  letters  in  the 
ordinary  way. 

JAPANNED  TIN  SIGNS. 

Draw  your  letters  on  paper  to  suit  your  sheet  of  tin,  having 
first  cleaned  it  with  diluted  alcohol  and  a  piece  of  cotton.  This 
will  remove  any  grease  or  other  matter  that  might  hold  the 
gold.  Then  take  some  whiting  and  rub  it  over  the  back  of  the 
papei  upon  which  your  design  is  made  and  lay  it  upon  the  japan¬ 
ned  tin. 

Place  a  weight  upon  the  four  corners  of  the  paper,  or  other¬ 
wise  fix  it  securely  to  the  tin;  then  with  a  fine  pointed  piece 
of  hard  wood,  trace  the  design  carefully,  bearing  upon  the  papei 
with  the  point  just  hard  enough  to  cause  the  whiting  on  the 
under  side  of  the  paper  to  adhere  to  the  tin,  and  after  going 
carefully  over  the  whole,  you  will  have  transferred  the  entire 
design  in  fine  white  outlines  to  the  tin  you  are  to  finish  it 
upon. 


THE  GILDER^  MANUAL. 


83 


Then  paint  your  letters  with  either  quick  or  slow  drying  oil  size, 
and,  when  sufficiently  dry  for  gilding,  lay  on  the  gold  leaf,  and 
“bat”  it  down  thoroughly,  afterward  brushing  off  with  your  flat 
camel-hair  brush  or  cotton. 

GILDING  ON  MUSLIN  OR  SILK  FOR  PAINTERS. 

For  Masonic  or  Oddfellow's  aprons,  banners,  or  any  work  of 
like  nature,  a  few  words  may  be  useful. 

First  have  your  material  put  upon  a  stretcher,  and  then  com¬ 
plete  your  lettering  and  design.  Prepare  a  size  as  follows : 
Dissolve  bleached  shellac  in  alcohol,  and  thin  as  much  as  will 
cover  the  parts  to  be  painted  or  gilded,  using  the  precaution  to 
cut  over  the  outime  a  little,  so  as  to  prevent  the  color  from 
spreading. 

Another  size  may  be  prepared  by  simply  using  the  white  of  an 
egg.  This  size  will  do  where  the  work  is  not  exposed  to  the 
weather,  or  when  it  is  required  to  be  done  quickly;  and  for  such 
work,  where  gilding  is  to  be  done,  lay  the  gold  while  the  size  is 
wet,  and  when  dry,  dust  off  the  surplus  gold  and  proceed  with 
the  painting,  shading  etc.,  when  you  are  sure  that  the  size  is  dry, 
remember. 


SIZE  FOB  BRONZING  AND  GILDING. 

A  good  size  for  bronzing,  or  pale  gilding,  is  a  mixture  of 
asphaltum,  drying  oil,  and  spirits  of  turpentine. 

A  size  for  gilding  on  cloth,  silk,  plaster,  etc.,  is  made  as  fol¬ 
lows:  Take  a  little  honey,  combined  with  thick  glue.  When 
reduced  properly,  this  size  has  the  effect  of  brightening  the 
color  of  the  gold  leaf,  sticking  to  it  well  and  giving  it  a  very  fine 
luster. 

BURNISHED  GILDING  ON  GLASS— LONDON  METHOD. 

The  gold  used  is  the  ordinary  gold  leaf.  Procure  some  fine 
fcinglass,  and  place  about  as  much  in  a  tea-cup  as  will  cover  a 
lix penny  piece,  and  then  pour  on  it  about  half  a  cupful  of  boiling 
water,  which  will  dissolve  the  isinglass.  Before  the  water  is  cold 
add  about  as  much  spirits  of  wine  as  there  is  water  in  the  cup  ; 
then  strain  the  whole  through  a  clean  silk  handkerchief,  and  the 
mordant  is  ready  for  use.  The  addition  of  the  spirits  of  wine  is 
most  material,  as  without  it  the  gilding  cannot  be  satisfactorily 
accomplished.  Whatever  may  be  the  design  or  lettering  to 
be  executed  on  the  glass,  it  must  first  be  set  out  on  a  sheet  of 
white  paper,  and  painted  with  Brunswick  black,  so  that  it  cau 


•* 


i 


34 


THE  GILDER*8  MANUAL. 


be  seen  through  the  paper.  This  paper  should  be  fixed  at  tha 
edges  or  corners  to  front  of  the  glass,  the  writing,  of  course  ap 
pearing  backward  through  the  glass  when  looked  at  from  the 
side  to  be  gilded. 

The  glass  having  been  thoroughly  cleansed  and  rubbwi 
with  a  silk  handkerchief,  the  gilding  may  be  commenced, 
the  gold  leaf  being  laid  on  the  reverse  side  to  that  to 
which  the  paper  is  rttached.  It  is  usual  to  place  the 
glass  in  a  slanting  position  on  an  easel,  the  lines  of  lettering  not 
being  horizontal,  or  reading  from  left  to  right,  but  perpendicular, 
reading  from  top  to  bottom.  The  size  is  put  on  with  a  large  soft 
camel-hair  pencil,  and  the  gold  leaf  applied  in  the  usual  way. 
If  the  line  of  writing  is  less  than  three  inches  in  liight,  it  is  advi 
sable  to  gild  the  whole  line,  without  paying  any  regard  to  the  shapes 
of  the  letters,  so  that  when  the  line  is  finished  it  will  be  a  solid 
piece  of  gilding  about  the  same  hight  and  length  as  the  letters. 
The  first  piece  of  gold  leaf  should  be  placed  at  the  beginning  of 
the  line,  which  is  the  top  of  the  glass,  and  each  succeeding  piece 
below  it,  the  different  pieces  just  overlapping  each  other.  It  is 
necessary  to  be  particular  in  this,  for  if  the  pieces  of  gold  do  not 
meet,  the  interstices  will  probably  show  when  the  work  is  com 
pleted,  and  will  prevent  the  uniformity  of  burnish. 

For  letters  larger  than  three  inches  in  hight,  the  gilding  may  be 
made  to  cover  each  letter,  leaving  the  spaces  between  untouched.  As 
soon  as  this  part  of  the  gilding  has  been  completed  it  should  be 
left  to  dry  in  a  warm  room,  or  placed  before  the  fire,  in  which 
case  it  will  be  dry  in  a  few  minutes.  When  the  gilding  is  per¬ 
fectly  dry  and  bright,  it  should  be  rubbed  over  very  gently  with 
a  piece  of  cotton -wool.  This  will  highten  the  burnish  of  the 
gold,  and,  and  remove  the  loose  pieces  which  do  not  adhere  to 
the  glass. 

After  the  gilding  has  been  treated  as  described,  a  flat  soft 
^camel-hair  brush  charged  with  the  isinglass  size  should  be 
'passed  lightly  over  the  work  ;  but  not  worked  to  and  fro,  or  it 
will  remove  the  gold  leaf.  The  size  should  be  flowed  on  freely 
and  rapidly,  and  if  any  small  pieces  have  been  omitted,  no  at¬ 
tempt  should  be  made  to  retouch  them  while  the  size  is  wet. 
When  it  is  dry  the  gilding  will  resume  its  brightness.  In  order 
to  complete  the  burnish  of  the  gold,  sometimes  hot  water  is 
poured  over  the  gilding,  and  this  not  only  washes  out  any  little 
specks  which  may  appear  on  the  front  of  the  gold,  but  enhan¬ 
ces  its  brilliancy  considerably.  The  hotter  the  water  poured 
over  the  work,  the  brighter  does  the  gilding  become,  but  care 
must  be  taken,  as  beyond  certain  degrees  of  heat  the  water  will 
break  the  glass.  This  was  very  common,  but  the  hot  water  bath 


THE  GILDER^  MANUAL. 


85 


now  is  often  dispensed  with,  and  the  size  coated  over  the  gilding 
is  applied  hot.  Another  plan  is  to  hold  a  hot  flat  iron  near  the 
work  for  a  moment.  This  method  is  not  quite  so  effective  but  it 
is  much  safer.  The  whole  of  the  gilding  has  now  to  be  repeated. 
A  second  layer  of  gold  leaf  over  the  first  is  necessary 
to  ensure  a  satisfactory  result.  The  second  coat  of 
gold  is  put  on  with  the  isinglass  size,  the  same  as  the  first  ;  and 
as  it  dries,  the  gilding  viewed  from  the  front  of  the  glass  wi” 
present  a  rich  and  finished  appearance. 

The  loose  pieces  of  gold  should  be  removed  as  after  the  first 
coat,  by  means  of  cotton-wool  gently  rubbed  over  the  work. 
Another  coat  of  size  made  hot  may  now  be  applied,  and  the 
gilding  is  ready  to  be  written  upon.  It  is  better  to  leave  the 
gilding  on  for  a  day  before  writing  upon  it,  because  the  isinglass 
does  not  get  thoroughly  hard,  though  to  all  appearance  it  is  per¬ 
fectly  dry  in  an  hour  or  two. 

If  the  gilding  is  left  untouched  for  two  or  three  months,  the 
action  of  the  spirits  of  wine  will  cause  the  gold  leaf  to  adhere  so 
firmly  to  the  glass  that  it  will  be  difficult  to  remove  it  by  any 
amount  of  washing  with  water  ;  whereas  in  the  course  of  a  few 
days  after  it  is  laid  on,  it  may  be  readily  removed  by  a  damp 
sponge.  The  outline  is  transferred  and  the  letters  painted  with 
Japan  black  and  other  methods. 

When  the  japan  is  dry,  the  edges  of  the  letters  may  be  cut 
sharp  and  true  by  passing  a  small  chisel  along  a  straight  edge,  so 
as  to  l rim  the  writing  and  make  the  tops  and  bottoms  perfectly 
regular.  All  the  straight  lines  of  the  letters  may  be  thus 
trimmed,  but  the  curved  ones  must  be  perfected  with  a  writing 
pencil  The  softened  colored  thicknesses  added  to  the  letters 
are  painted  with  the  ordinary  oil  colors  thinned  with  boiled  oil 
and  turpentine,  the  latter  being  used  sparingly.  Three  or  more 
tints  are  generally  mixed  on  the  palette,  with  a  separate  pencil 
to  each,  and  these  are  softened  with  a  larger  sable  pencil,  and  the 
outer  edges  are  cut  up  with  a  pointed  stick  guided  by  a  straight¬ 
edge,  whilst  the  color  is  wet,  and  the  superfluous  color  is  wiped 
off  with  a  piece  of  rag.  By  this  means  a  sharpness  of  outline  is 
obtained  which  the  most  skillful  writer  would  fail  to  get  by  the 
mere  use  of  the  pencil.  The  shadow  is  put  on  as  soon  as  the 
thickness  is  dry,  and  not  being  softened  down,  quick  drying  col¬ 
ors  may  be  employed. 


36 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


GILDER’S  TOOLS. 


The  tools  used  by  the  gilder  are  few,  and  not  very  costly.  A 
short  description  of  each  may  be  acceptable. 

The  gilder's  cushion  is  used  to  spread  the  gold  on,  ready  to  cot 


Fio.  1. — The  Gilder’s  Cushion. 


up  for  use.  It  is  a  piece  of  wood  about  8  inches  by  5,  covered 
with  calf  skin,  with  a  piece  of  soft  fabric  introduced  between 
the  wood  and  the  leather.  The  leather  is  strained  tightly  over 
the  board,  and  nailed  on  to  the  edge.  A  piece  of  parchment  about 
three  or  four  inches  broad  is  nailed  half  way  round  the  board, 


Fig.  2. — The  Gilder’s  Knife. 


and  is  meant  to  keep  the  gold  leaf  from  flying  off,  as  the  least 
disturbance  of  the  atmosphere  is  enough  to  send  the  gold  leaf 
flying.  A  loop  is  placed  under  the  cushion  in  which  the  thumb 
is  inserted,  and  serves  to  carry  the  cushion.  (See  fig.  1.) 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


37 


The  gilder '*  I  nrfc  is  a  light  flexible  blade,  free  from  notches, 
hut  not  very  sharp,  used  to  cut  the  gold  on  the  cushion  to  the  re¬ 
quired  shape.  It  must  be  kept  clean,  smooth  in  the  edge,  and 
bright,  or  it  will  tear  instead  of  cut  the  gold.  (See  fig.  2.) 

The  gilding  “  tip  ”  is  a  thin  layer  of  flexible  hair  held  togethei 
between  two  pieces  of  cardboard,  and  made  of  various  widths, 


Fig.  3.— -The  Gilding  Tip. 

and  the  length  of  hair  varies  also.  The  tip  is  used  to  convey  the 
gold  from  the  cushion  to  the  work  required  to  be  gilded.  The 
manner  of  using  the  cushion,  the  knife,  and  the  tip,  is  as  follows: 
The  gilder  first  proceeds  to  open  the  book  of  gold  leaf,  and  dex¬ 
terously  blows  the  leaf  from  the  book  into  the  cushion  until  he 
has  about  a  dozen  ready  for  use.  He  then  takes  up  the  cushion, 


and  slips  his  left  hand  thumb  through  the  loop  underneath;  then 
with  the  end  of  the  knife  he  carefully  takes  up  a  leaf  of  gold,  and 
dexterously  brings  the  metal  to  the  front  of  the  cushion,  when 


38 


the  gilder’s  manual 


with  a  slight,  puff  of  wind  from  the  mouth  on  to  the  center  of  the 
leaf  it  is  made  to  be  perfectly  flat.  He  then  with  the  knife  cuts 
it  to  the  required  shape,  and  places  the  knife  between  the  Angers 
of  the  hand  carrying  the  cushion.  The  tip  (which  is  also  carried 
between  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand)  with  the  right  hand  is  then 
drawn  quickly  across  the  hair  of  the  workman’s  head,  or  across 
the  back  of  his  hand,  which  gives  it  a  little  moisture,  and  on  bezrrg 
piaced  on  the  gold  required  to  be  lifted,  carries  it  to  the  work  to 
be  gilded.  This  operation  is  repeated  till  the  work  is  complete. 
(See  fig.  3.) 

The  burnisher  is  a  tool  used  by  the  gilder,  and  is  made  of  eithei 
agate  or  flint.  For  beads  and  hollows,  the  burnishers  are  of  differ¬ 
ent  form  and  size  to  suit  the  work,  and  are  usually  curved  near  the 
end.  The  method  of  using  the  burnisher  can  only  be  attained  by 
practice,  when  the  sound  and  smooth  passage  of  the  burnisher 
over  the  gold  will  tell  the  workman  if  he  has  been  successful  in 
obtaining  a  good  burnish.  (See  fig.  4.) 

Brushes  of  various  descriptions  are  constantly  in  use  by  the 
gilder  ;  ground  hog’s  hair,  flat  and  round;  these  are  used  for  the 
various  preparations  of  gold  size:  skewing  brushes  in  quill  are 
used  for  skewing  or  dabbing  in  the  gold  after  it  has  adhered  to 
the  oil  gold  size :  gilder’s  mops  in  quill  are  used  to  dab  the  gold 
to  make  it  closely  adhere  to  the  size;  camel’s  hair  brushes  of  all 
sizes  are  useful,  as  well  as  sable  and  other  tools. 

Modelers,  both  steel  and  wood,  are  used  to  fashion  ornaments 
that  are  broken  and  lost. 

The  gilder  also  uses  pumice  stones  of  various  shapes,  glass- 
paper,  pallet  knives,  etc. 

LAYING  GOLD  LEAP. 

Some  find  it  difficult  to  use  the  tip  and  cushion,  owing  to  un¬ 
steadiness  or  want  of  “  knack.”  Ail  such  might  try  the  follow¬ 
ing  method:  Cut  off  the  back  of  the  book  with  a  keen  knife; 
have  a  flat  dish  with  a  little  turpentine  in  it;  take  a  small  sponge, 
dampen  with  the  turpentine  and  pass  over  the  top  of  the  book,  so 
as  to  dampen  the  paper  all  over.  The  leaf  will  adhere  as  you  lift 
the  top  sheet,  which  can  be  cut  with  scissors  into  any  shape  and 
carried  to  the  work.  This  has  been  found  an  economical  and 
also  a  quick  way  for  most  work,  especially  stripes.  If  carefully 
lifted,  the  gold  will  adhere  to  the  paper  without  the  use  of  turpen¬ 
tine. 


l 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


39 


GLASSWARE  AND  PORCELAIN- 


TO  GILD  GLASSWARE  AND  PORCELAIN. 

Drinking  and  other  glasses  are  sometimes  gilt  on  tlieir  edges. 
This  is  done  either  by  using  an  adhesive  varnish  or  by  heat. 
The  varnish  is  prepared  by  dissolving  in  boiled  linseed  oil  an  equal 
'w  eight  either  of  copal  or  amber.  This  is  diluted  by  a  proper 
quantity  of  oil  of  turpentine,  so  as  to  be  applied  as  thin  as  possi¬ 
ble  to  the  parts  of  the  glass  intended  to  be  gilt.  When  this  is 
dry,  which  will  be  in  about  24  hours,  the  glass  is  to  be  placed 
in  a  stove,  till  it  is  so  warm  as  almost  to  burn  the  fingers  when 
handled.  At  this  temperature  the  varnish  will  become  adhesive, 
and  a  piece  of  leaf  gold,  applied  in  the  usual  way,  will  imme 
diatcly  stick.  Sweep  off  the  superfluous  portions  of  the  leaf, 
and  when  quite  cold  it  may  be  burnished,  taking  care  to  inter¬ 
pose  a  piece  of  very  thin  India  paper  between  the  gold  and  the 
burnisher.  If  the  varnish  is  very  good,  this  is  the  best  method 
of  gilding  glass,  as  the  gold  is  thus  fixed  on  more  evenly  than  in 
any  other  way. 

PERMANENT  GILDING  BY  HEAT. 

It  often  happens  with  glassware  or  porcelain,  when  the  varnish 
is  but  indifferent,  that  by  repeated  washing  the  gold  wears  off;  on 
this  account  the  practice  of  burning  it  in  is  sometimes  had 
recourse  to.  For  this  purpose,  some  gold  powder  is  ground 
with  borax,  and  in  this  state  applied  to  the  clean  surface  of  the 
glass  by  a  camel-hair  pencil;  when  quite  dry,  the  glass  is  put 
into  a  stove  heated  to  about  the  temperalure  of  an  annealing 
oven;  the  gum  burns  off,  and  the  borax,  by  vitrifying,  cements 
the  gold  with  great  firmness  to  the  glass;  after  which  it  may  be 
burnished.  The  gilding  upon  porcelain  is  in  like  manner  fixed 
by  heat  and  the  use  of  borax. 

GILDING  ON  PORCELAIN  OR  GLASS  BY  DIPPING. 

Mix  first  in  a  glass  mortar,  and  then  between  a  muller  and  a 
ground  plate  glass,  neutral  chloride  of  platinum  with  rectified 
essence  of  lavender,  so  as  to  form  a  thin  syrup,  which  is  applied 
with  a  brush  in  very  thin  layers  upon  the  glass,  porcelain,  or 
other  ceramic  object.  After  drying,  heat  in  a  muffle  up  to  a 


40 


THE  GILDER^  MANUAL. 


dark  red;  this  temperature  reduces  the  platinum  to  the  metallic 
state;  it  then  appears  with  a  perfect  polish.  After  cooling,  pass 
the  whole  object  through  aquafortis,  which  is  without  action 
upon  the  platinum,  but  destroys  the  impurities  which  may  tar¬ 
nish  its  surface.  Rinse  in  plenty  of  water,  wrap  the  object  with 
a  few  turns  of  tine  brass  wire,  having  numerous  points  of 
contact  with  the  platinized  places,  and  dip  into  the  gold  bath. 
After  a  few  minutes  the  platinum  is  covered  with  gold  which 
has  the  same  adherence  and  polish.  Rub  the  gold  with  chamois 
leather;  this  method  dispenses  with  burnishing,  which  is  costly, 
and  often  impracticable  in  the  deeply  indented  parts.  If  the 
gilding  is  too  red,  add  to  the  bath  a  few  drops  of  a  solution  of 
double  cyanide  of  potassium  and  silver  liquor  for  silver  electro 
plating.  This  method  is  preferable  to  that  of  baths  with  separate 
battery ;  the  gilding  has  a  bright  instead  of  a  dead  luster,  and  it* 
adherence  is  greater. 

Another  Method. — The  following  is  said  to  give  good  results  • 
Pure  chloride  of  gold  is  dissolved  in  water,  so  that  each  quart  of 
water  shall  carry  in  solution  after  careful  filtering  three  quarters 
of  a  grain  of  gold.  Neutralize  the  solution  with  soda.  A  por¬ 
tion  of  alcohol  is  then  mixed  with  an  equal  quantity  of  water 
and  a  stream  of  hydrogen  gas  driven  through  it  until  it  wifi 
receive  no  more  gas.  The  glass  being  then  perfectly  cleaned  and 
a  border  put  around  it  of  wax,  or  other  material  one-tenth  of  an 
inch  thick,  a  portion  of  alcohol  and  water  is  mixed  with  sufficient 
chloride  to  cover  the  glass.  Precipitation  is  said  to  commence  in 
a  few  minutes,  the  gold  coming  out  quite  bright,  and  making  a 
tolerably  firm  coating. 


GILDING  ON  METALS. 


GILDING  ON  METALS  BY  DIPPING. 

The  baths  employed  contain  go  d  in  the  form  of  a  double  salt 
of  protoxide,  and  should  possess  little  stability,  that  is  to  say,  be 
decomposed  and  abandon  the  gold  under  feeble  influences,  and 
should  dissolve  the  copper  placed  in  them  in  equivalent  propor¬ 
tion  to  that  of  the  deposited  gold,  thus  forming  a  new  double 
salt  in  which  the  copper  is  in  the  same  degree  of  oxidation  as  the 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


41 


gold.  When  the  articles  have  been  previously  amalgamated,  it 
is  mercury  and  not  copper  which  is  substituted  for  gold  in  the 
solution. 

PREPARATION  OP  THE  GOLD  BATH. 


Distilled  water,  seventeen  pints  ;  pyrophospate  of  potash,  of 
soda,  twenty -eight  ounces;  hydrocyanic  acid  of  twelve  and  a  half 
per  cent,  strength  prussic  acid,  one-third  of  an  ounce  ;  crystalized 
perchloride  of  gold,  two-thirds  of  an  ounce.  The  pyrophosphate 
of  soda  is  most  generally  employed,  and  is  obtained  by  melting, 
at  a  white  heat,  the  ordinary  crystalized  phosphate  of  soda.  The 
pyrophosphate  of  soda  may  be  obtained  in  the  form  of  crystals, 
which  is  a  proof  of  a  definite  composition.  The  quantity  of 
chloride  represents  a  little  more  than  one-third  of  an  ounce  of 
pure  gold  treated  by  aqua  regia.  Put  16  pints  of  distilled  water 
in  a  porcelain  vessel,  or  an  enameled  cast-iron  kettle,  and  add, 
by  small  portions  at  a  time,  and  stirring  with  a  glass  rod,  the 
pyrophosphate;  heat,  filter  and  let  it  cool  down.  The  chloride 
of  gold  is  prepared  by  introducing  into  a  small  glass  flask  pure 
gold  finely  laminated,  of  one-third  of  an  ounce;  hydrochloric 
acid,  pure,  nearly  one  ounce;  nitric  acid,  pure,  one-half  an  ounce 
The  flask  is  slightly  heated,  effervescence  and  abundant  nitrous 
vapors  result,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  gold  has  entirely 
disappeared,  leaving  a  reddish-yellow  liquor.  The  flask  is  then 
put  upon  a  sheet  of  iron,  with  a  hole  in  its  center,  and  supported 
by  a  tripod.  The  whole  is  heated  by  a  gas  or  spirit  lamp  to 
evaporate  excess  of  the  acids;  too  much  acidity  may  cause  great 
irregularities  in  the  working  of  the  bath,  and  even  prevent  its 
action  altogether.  An  excess  of  nitric  acid  causes  a  jumping  of 
the  heated  liquors,  and  may  overthrow  the  whole  ;  it  is  prefer 
able  to  have  the  hydrochloric  acid  predominating.  The  evapora¬ 
tion  is  finished  when  vapors  escape  slowly  from  the  flask,  and 
when  the  liquid  has  become  of  an  oily  consistency  and  of  a  deep  i 
red  color.  The  flask  is  then  removed  from  the  fire  by  wooden 
pincers,  and  set  to  cool  upon  a  ring  of  plaited  straw.  If  a  more 
rapid  evaporation  is  desired,  heat  the  flask  over  ignited  charcoal, 
or  the  spirit  lamp;  agitate  the  liquid  to  prevent  any  of  the  gold 
from  returning  to  the  metallic  state.  Well  prepared  chloride  of 
gold,  when  cold,  forms  a  saffron-yellow  crystalline  mass.  If  the 
color  is  red,  it  has  been  too  much  evaporated,  and  will  do  very 
'  well  for  electro  baths ;  but  for  dipping  baths  it  must  be  heated 
again  after  a  small  addition  of  the  two  acids.  If  the  perchloride 
of  gold,  by  too  protracted  a  heat,  has  passed  to  the  state  of  in¬ 
soluble  protochioridc,  01  even  uf  metallic  gold,  the  treatment 


42  tiie  gilder’s  manual; 

must  be  begun  again  with  the  indicated  mixture  of  pure  nitric 
and  hydrochloric  acids.  The  perforated  sheet  of  iron,  upon 
which  the  flask  rests,  is  intended  to  prevent  the  action  of  heat 
upon  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  which  will  decompose  the  films  of 
chloride  of  gold  wetting  the  flask  at  these  places.  When  the 
chloride  of  gold  is  cold  and  crystallized,  dissolve  it  in  the  flask 
w  ith  a  little  distilled  water,  and  pour  the  solution  through  a 
paper  filter  held  in  a  glass  funnel  into  a  clean  bottle;  this  is  to 
separate  a  small  quantity  of  silver  always  found  in  the  gold  of  the 
trade.  Rinse  the  flask  and  filter  with  the  unemployed  wrater,  so 
as  to  get  all  the  gold  into  the  bath.  Pour  the  filtered  solution  of 
chloride  of  gold  into  the  cooled  one  of  pyroposphate,  and  stir 
with  a  glass  rod.  Lastly,  add  the  hydrocyanic  acid,  and  the 
bath  is  heated  nearly  to  the  boiling  point  for  use.  If  the  solution 
of  pyrophosphate  is  still  tepid,  add  the  hydrocyanic  acid  before 
the  chloride  of  gold.  Hydrocyanic  or  prussic  acid  is  not  abso¬ 
lutely  necessary ;  but,  wdthout  it,  the  bath  is  too  easily  decom¬ 
posed,  and  the  gold  is  too  rapidly  precipitated  upon  the  objects 
placed  in  it.  When  the  solutions  are  mixed  in  the  cold,  the 
liquor  is  yellowr  or  greenish-yellow ;  but  becomes  colorless  by 
the  increase  of  temperature.  If  the  liquor  becomes  currant- red, 
or  wine-lees  violet,  it  is  an  indication  that  there  is  too  little 
hydrocyanic  acid ;  add  it  drop  by  drop,  until  the  liquor  becomes 
colorless.  An  excess  of  this  acid  is  objectionable,  but  there  is 
a  very  simple  method  of  keeping  the  baths  in  good  working 
order,  by  adding  prussic  acid  gradually  to  those  too  rich  in  gold; 
or  correcting  any  excess  of  prussic  acid  with  a  small  proportion 
of  chloride  of  gold,  until  the  gilding  is  produced  without  diffi¬ 
culty  and  of  the  proper  sli  de.  Thus  prepared,  the  bath  will 
produce  very  fine  gilding  upon  wTell-clcansed  articles,  which  must 
also  have  passed  through  a  very  diluted  solution  of  nitrate  of 
binoxide  of  mercury,  without  which  the  deposit  of  gold  is  red 
and  irregular,  and  will  not  cover  the  soldered  portions.  The 
articles  are  supported  by  a  hook  or  in  a  stoneware  ladle  per¬ 
forated  wutli  holes,  or  in  brass  gauze  baskets;  they  must  be  con¬ 
stantly  agitated  whilst  in  the  bath.  Gilders  usually  employ  three 
baths,  placed  in  close  proximity  to  each  other,  and  heated  in  the 
same  furnace;  the  first  bath  is  one  deprived  of  gold  by  a  previous 
operation,  and  is  used  for  removing  all  excess  of  wiiicli  may 
remain  upon  the  articles;  the  second  bath  still  retains  some  gold, 
but  not  enough  to  give  a  sufficiently  rich  gilding.  The  pieces 
passed  through  it  begin  to  receive  the  deposit,  which  will  be 
finished  in  thickness  and  shade  in  the  third  bath.  A  gas  furnace, 
easy  to  manage,  and  ciean  in  its  working,  may  be  arranged  by 
having  a  properly  supported  sheet-iron  plate,  with  holes  cut  out 


43 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

where  the  kettles  are  to  stand.  Under  each  kettle  place  suitable 
gas  burner ;  when  the  baths  have  been  heated  nearly  up  to  boil 
ing  point,  lower  the  gas,  so  as  not  to  increase  the  temperature. 
This  method  produces  much  more  gilding  with  a  given  quantity 
of  gold,  than  one  bath  alone.  The  gilding  is  done  in  a  few  seconds ; 
the  finishing  operations  consist  in  rinsing  in  fresh  water,  drying 
in  dry  and  warm  saw-dust,  and  burnishing,  if  desired. 

COLORING  PROCESS. 

If  the  gilding  is  dull  and  irregular  in  color,  melt  together  in 
their  water  of  crystallization,  at  about  212°  Fahr.,  equal  parts  of 
sulphate  of  iron,  sulphate  of  zinc,  sulphate  of  alumina  and  potash 
and  saltpeter.  Cover  the  articles  with  the  mixture,  and  put 
them  into  a  cylindrical  and  vertical  grate.  This  is  placed  in  th<* 
center  of  a  furnace,  where  the  charcoal  burns  between  the  sides 
and  the  grate  which  holds  the  articles.  When  the  moistened  fin¬ 
ger  is  presented  to  one  piece,  and  a  slight  hissing  sound  is  heard, 
the  heat  has  been  sufficiently  raised  ;  put  all  the  articles  rapidly 
into  a  very  diluted  solution  of  sulphuric  acid,  where  the  coating 
of  salts  is  quickly  dissolved  ;  the  articles  present  a  warm,  uniform 
shade  of  color.  If  the  copper  articles  are  not  entirely  gilt  by  the 
first  operation,  the  ungilt  portions  will  show  themselves  by  a  red 
coloration,  and  the  articles  must  then  be  deprived  of  gold, 
cleansed,  and  gilt  anew.  Sometimes,  when  the  first  gilding  i& 
imperfect,  instead  of  coloring  by  the  process  just  described,  the 
articles  are  placed  for  a  few  moments  into  the  electro-bath. 

For  articles  which  require  a  good  plating  there  is  an  easy 
method  by  this  process  of  obtaining  as  good  results  as  by  the 
battery  ;  it  consists  in  gilding  several  times,  by  dipping  ;  before 
each  dipping,  the  article  is  passed  through  the  solution  of  nitrate 
of  binoxide  of  mercury.  Gilding  by  dipping  is  superior  to  that 
by  electricity  in  depth  of  shade,  brightness,  and  especially  in  not 
scaling  off,  as  the  deposit  is  of  pure  gold  only. 

ORMOLU  COLORING. 

This  operation  consists  in  smearing,  by  means  of  a  brush,  the 
gilt  and  scratch-brushed  objects  with  a  thin  paste  of  nitrate  of 
potash,  alum,  and  oxide  of  iron,  which  have  been  well  mixed  and 
ground  under  the  muller,  and  to  which  has  been  added  a  solution 
of  saffrou,  annatto,  or  any  coloring  substance  according  to  the 
shade  desired.  If  the  gilding  is  strong  and  thick,  the  objects  are 
then  heated  until  this  coating  curls  over  at  the  approach  of  a  wet 
finger.  If  the  gilding  is  a  mere  film,  the  mixture  is  simply  al- 


44 


THE  GILDKR'8  MAtftJAL. 


lowed  to  stand  upon  the  articles  for  a  few  minutes.  In  cither 
case,  the  whole  is  rapidly  washed  in  warm  water  holding  in  sus¬ 
pension  a  certian  quantity  of  the  materials  for  ormolu  ;  they  are 
then  rapidly  dried,  when  they  appear  of  a  darker  shade  ;  remove 
any  portions  too  much  colored  by  striking  them  vertically  with  <* 
brush  having  long  bristles.  If  the  tint  does  not  appear  satisfac¬ 
tory,  commence  the  operation  afresh,  after  washing  off  the  or¬ 
molu  in  a  diluted  solution  of  sulphuric  acid. 

GREEN  AND  WHITE  GILDING. 

These  shades  may  be  graduated  at  will,  and  are  obtained  by 
adding,  drop  by  drop,  until  the  desired  shade  is  arrived  at,  to  the 
bath  of  double  pyrophosphate  of  soda  and  gold,  a  solution  of  ni¬ 
trate  of  silver.  For  the  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver,  dissolve  in  5 
oz.  of  distilled  water,  $  oz.  of  nitrate  of  silver  crystallized,  or  of 
lunar  caustic.  Before  gilding  green  or  white,  yellow  gild  the  ob¬ 
jects  in  the  ordinary  bath,  then  pass  them  rapidly  through  the 
mercurial  solution,  and,  lastly,  dip  them  into  the  gold  bath  hold 
ing  the  nitrate  of  silver,  which  parts  rapidly  with  its  silver  upon 
the  first  articles  steeped  in  it.  It  is  necessary  to  maintain  the 
constancy  of  the  shade  by  the  addition  of  a  few  drops  of  the  sil¬ 
ver  solution  when  required. 

GILDING  SILVER  BY  DIPPING. 

The  silver  articles,  previously  cleansed  and  scratch-brushed,  are 
boiled  for  about  half  an  hour  in  the  gold  bath  of  pyrophosphate, 
to  which  add  a  few  drops  of  sulphurous  acid,  or,  preferably,  hy¬ 
drocyanic  acid,  in  excess  of  the  quantity  needed  by  the  primitive 
bath.  This  gilding  is  very  fine,  but  without  firmness.  The 
deposit  is  rendered  more  rapid  and  thicker  when  the  silver  arti¬ 
cles  are  stirred  with  a  rod  of  copper,  zinc,  or  brass. 

GOLD  DIPPING  BATH  WITH  BICARBONATES. 

The  bicarbonate  bath  is  prepared  in  a  cast-iron  kettle,  turned 
clean  and  smooth  inside  on  the  lathe,  and  gilt  by  the  protracted 
ebullition  of  nearly  spent  gold  baths.  Water,  3£  galls.  ;  bicarbo 
nate  of  potash  of  soda,  £  oz.  ;  pure  metallic  gold,  transformed  in¬ 
to  chloride,  4^  oz.  The  whole  is  boiled  for  at  least  two  hours,  and 
fresh  water  added  to  replace  that  evaporated.  A  part  of  the  gold 
in  the  form  of  a  violet-b'ack  powder,  precipitates,  and  requires 
the  cooling  and  decanting  of  the  liquor.  This  is  boiled  again  and 


45 


THE  GILDER^  MANUAL. 

the  gilding  proceeded  with  in  the  same  manner  as  before  described 
except  that  the  mercurial  solution  should  be  more  diluted  than 
for  the  baths  of  pyrophosphates.  The  operation  is  finished  when 
about  half  of  the  gold  in  the  liquor  is  deposited.  The  remainder 
goes  to  the  saved  waste.  The  bicarbonate  process  is  inferior  in 
most  respects  to  the  pyrophosphate,  and  it  is  now  rarely  used. 

I 

GILDING  BY  DILUTED  BATH. 

This  bath  should  be  employed  only  as  a  complement  to  the 
cleansing  process,  before  a  more  resisting  gilding,  as  its  results 
have  little  durability.  Water,  2  galls.  ;  bicarbonate  of  potash,  7 
oz.  ;  caustic  potash,  G3  oz.  ;  cyanide  of  potassium,  3  oz.  ;  metal¬ 
lic  gold  to  be  transformed  into  chloride,  £  oz.  The  whole  is 
brought  up  to  the  boiling  point,  and  a  pale  gilding  is  obtained 
even  upon  articles  imperfectly  cleansed,  and  without  using  ni¬ 
trate  of  binoxide  of  mercury.  It  is  possible  to  add  £  oz.  of  chlo¬ 
ride  of  gold  several  times  to  this  bath  without  any  other  sub¬ 
stances.  Afterward  maintain  it  at  the  proper  strength  by  addi¬ 
tions  of  gold  and  salts  in  the  above  proportions,  and  it  will  last 
for  an  indefinite  period.  This  bath  will  gild  about  140  oz.  of 
small  jewelry  with  310  oz.  of  gold,  whereas  a  pyrophosphate  bath 
gilds  only  about  35  oz.  of  small  articles  with  the  3l0  oz.  of  gold  ex¬ 
tracted  from  the  liquor. 

GILDING  SMALL  METAL  ARTICLES  BY  STIRRING  ANT)  GOLD 

AMALGAM. 

In  the  center  of  a  charcoal  stove  put  a  crucible  holding  a  given 
quantity  of  pure  and  dry  mercury,  and  when  the  temperature  has 
reached  about  212  Fahr.  add  one-half  the  weight  of  gold.  Stir 
with  an  iron  rod  until  the  amalgam  has  acquired  the  consistence 
|  of  butter,  throw  it  into  cold  water,  and  keep  it  there  for  use. 

Cleanse  the  articles  to  be  gilded  in  aquafortis,  put  them  in  a 
stoneware  pan,  and  pour  over  them  a  diluted  solution  of  nitrate 
of  binoxide  of  mercury,  taking  care  to  move  the  articles  about  all 
the  time,  in  order  to  cover  them  with  a  regular  white  coating  of 
mercury.  Add  the  desired  proportion  of  amalgam  ;  on  stirring 
the  articles  this  is  spread  all  over  them. 

Then  rinse  the  articles  in  cold  water,  place  them  in  a  large  and 
deep  copper  ladle,  perforated  with  numerous  small  holes,  and 
having  a  long  handle.  Hold  the  ladle  over  a  charcoal  tire,  and 
constantly  stir  it  about  in  order  to  have  the  heat  equal  everywhere. 
The  mercury  of  the  amalgam  is  soon  volatilized,  and  the  gold 
remains  adherent  to  the  articles. 


•A* 

r 


i.  v  •  . 


46 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


If  instead  of  a  yellow  gilding  a  red  one  is  desired,  this  is  got 
by  waxing,  which  consists  in  pouring  upon  the  pieces,  kept  in  the 
ladle  and  upon  the  tire,  in  a  well  mixed  and  fluid  state  :  oil,  25 
parts  ;  yellow  wax,  25  ;  acetate  of  copper,  10  ;  red  ochre,  40. 
The  articles  must  be  coustantly  agitated,  and  the  mixture  allow¬ 
ed  to  burn  out,  when  the  whole  is  thrown  into  a  very  diluted  so¬ 
lution  of  sulphuric  acid.  The  waxing  is  only  to  be  done  after  the 
comple  volatilization  of  the  mercury. 

When  removed  from  the  pickle,  the  gilding  has  the  dull  ochre 
appearance,  and  must  be  scratch-brushed.  Small  articles  are 
brightened  in  a  long  narrow  bag,  where  they  are  put  with  copper 
pearls,  or  the  waste  from  these  pearls,  and  wet  with  vinegar  wa¬ 
ter  ;  a  to-and-fro  motion  is  imparted  to  the  bag,  and  the  gilt  ar¬ 
ticles  and  the  copper  granules  polish  each  other.  Kinse  and  dry 
in  saw-dust,  and  burnish  if  required.  Five  grains  of  gold  are 
enough  to  well  gild  a  gross  of  old-fashioned  buttons. 

GILDING  BY  FIRE  OR  MERCURY. 

Mercury  gilding  will  furnish  gold  with  a  bright  or  a  dead 
luster,  scratch-brushed,  ormolued,  and  M’ith  different  shades.  The 
amalgam  of  gold  is  prepared  in  the  manner  described  in  the  pro¬ 
cess  of  gilding  by  stirring,  only  a  little  less  mercury  is  used,  in 
order  to  have  an  amalgam  about  as  hard  as  wax.  This  amal 
gam  is  crystalline,  and  a  certain  crackling  sound  is  heard  when 
the  crystals  are  crushed  between  the  Angers.  A  stock  of  amalgam 
is  generally  prepared  in  advance,  and  is  divided  into  small  balls 
of  nearly  equal  size,  the  value  of  which  is  ascertained  from  their 
number,  and  from  the  total  weight  of  gold  employed.  These 
balls  are  kept  in  water,  but  should  not  remain  too  long  without 
being  used,  as  the  different  parts  do  not  then  present  the  same 
composition.  The  amalgam  is  spread  with  the  Anger  upon  a  flat, 
hard  stone  called  the  gilding  stone  ;  and  having  dipped  a 
scratch-brush  of  stout  brass  wire  into  a  solution  of  nitrate 
of  binoxide  of  mercury  until  it  becomes  completely  white, 
it  is  passed  over  the  amalgam,  a  portion  of  which  is  car¬ 
ried  away.  The  object,  previously  well  cleansed,  is  scratch- 
brushed  in  every  direction,  and  the  brush  must  be  fre¬ 
quently  dipped  into  the  mercurial  solution  to  facilitate  the  regu¬ 
lar  and  even  spreading  of  the  amalgam.  This  operation  requires 
great  care  to  obtain  a  uniform  coat  upon  the  hollow  and  raised 
parts. 

V\  hen  the  back  part  of  a  piece  does  not  require  gilding,  the  flat 
outline,  and  the  baek  edge,  should  be  gilt,  so  that  the  naked  cop¬ 
per  shall  cause  no  injury  in  the  subsequent  operations.  The  ar« 


47 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

tide,  when  uniformly  covered  with  the  amalgam,  is  heated  upon 
a  charcoal  fire  without  draught,  which  rests  upon  a  cast-iron 
plate.  It  is  advisable  to  employ  a  gilding  forge,  which  allows 
the  workman  to  watch  the  operation  from  behind  a  glass  frame, 
which  protects  him  from  the  mercurial  vapors.  The  entire  at¬ 
tention  is  now  required  for  watching  the  process.  With  the  left 
hand  covered  with  a  thick  glove  of  buckskin,  turn  the  piece  in 
every  direction  upon  the  fire,  and,  as  the  mercury  disappears, 
with  the  right  hand  strike  the  article  in  every  direction  with  a 
brush,  the  handle  and  the  bristles  of  which  must  be  long,  to  equal¬ 
ize  the  gilding,  and  to  push  the  remaining  amalgam  upon  those 
parts  which  appear  less  charged  with  it.  When  all  the  mercury 
has  volatilized,  the  gilding  has  a  dull,  greenish-yellow  color,  re¬ 
sembling  that  of  boxwood  ;  examine  whether  the  coat  of  gold  is 
continuous.  Should  a  few  empty  places  appear,  add  more  amal¬ 
gam,  and  heat  the  whole  again. 

The  next  operation  is  scratch-brushing;  which  furnishes  a  pale 
green  color,  and  requires  another  heating  for  arriving  at  the  de¬ 
sired  shade.  The  reheating  should  expel  any  remaining  mercury, 
and  produce  a  fine  orange-yellow  color.  In  case  a  bright  luster 
is  required,  submit  the  object,  with  the  aid  of  heat,  to  the  ormolu 
process  already  described.  To  obtain  dead  luster,  the  object  ia 
firmly  fixed  to  an  iron  rod,  by  wire  of  the  same  metal,  and 
smeared  with  a  hot  paste  for  dead  gilding,  composed  of  saltpeter, 
common  salt,  and  the  double  sulphate  of  alumina  and  potash. 
The  whole  is  heated  upon  a  brisk  charcoal  fire,  without  draught, 
and  moved  about  until  the  mixture  dries  and  begins  to  fuse, 
when  the  article  is  immediately  placed  in  a  barrel  half  filled  with 
water.  The  covering  of  salts  dissolves,  and  the  dead  luster  ap¬ 
pears  ;  this  operation  requires  a  certain  amount  of  practice. 
The  gilding  must  be  strong  to  stand  the  dead  luster  process,  es¬ 
pecially  when  the  first  trial  is  not  successful.  The  red  lines  left 
by  the  iron  wire  disappear  by  plunging  the  object  into  a  not  too 
diluted  solution  of  nitric  acid,  or  pure  hydrochloric  acid.  Mer¬ 
cury  gilders  do  not  employ  pure  gold  ;  what  they  use  is  pre¬ 
viously  alloyed  with  a  certain  portion  of  copper  or  silver.  With 
the  latter  metal  the  gilding  is  green.  Red  gilding  is  either  ob¬ 
tained  with  a  dark  ormolu  or  with  the  green  for  red,  already  men¬ 
tioned. 

COLD  GILDING  WITH  THE  RAG. 

Dissolve  finely  laminated  pure  gold  in  aqua  regia  made  of  nitric 
acid,  10  parts ;  sal  ammoniac,  4 ;  saltpeter,  1.  Heat  carefully 
upon  a  gentle  fire  ;  when  all  the  gold  has  disappeared,  pour  the 
cooled  contents  of  the  flask  into  a  flat-bottomed  stoneware  pan. 


48 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


Into  this  liquor,  place  one  upon  the  other,  and  in  sufficient  quan¬ 
tity,  squares  of  linen  cloth,  stir  them  with  a  glass  rod,  in  ordei 
that  they  may  absorb  the  chloride  of  gold.  Each  square  of  cloth 
is  taken  out  with  wooden  pincers,  well  drained,  and  spread  for 
drying  in  a  dark  chamber. 

When  nearly  dry,  each  piece  of  cloth,  supported  upon  glass 
rods,  is  placed  on  top  of  a  charcoal  fire,  and  soon  takes  fire.  The 
combustion  is  aided  by  the  presence  of  the  saltpeter,  and  is  fin¬ 
ished  upon  a  marble  slab.  Grind  the  ashes  under  a  muller,  col¬ 
lect  and  keep  them  between  the  folds  of  a  parchment  leaf,  around 
which  a  wet  cloth  has  been  folded.  The  powder  is  then  ready  to 
use  ;  mix  it  upon  a  slab  with  a  few  drops  of  water,  and  with  this 
paste  rub  the  well  cleaned  surfaces  of  the  silver  to  be  gilt. 

The  smooth  surfaces  are  rubbed  with  the  thumb,  the  fillets  or 
grooves  with  a  fine  cork  cut  to  the  proper  shape,  and  the  corners 
or  angles  with  a  stick  of  soft  wood,  such  as  linden  or  poplar ; 
the  articles  are  then  burnished.  This  gilding  is  very  thin,  but 
quite  resisting,  especially  after  the  action  of  the  burnishing  tool, 
which  forces  the  gold  into  the  pores  of  the  silver. 

If  a  red  shade  be  desired,  add  a  small  proportion  of  pure  cop¬ 
per  to  the  gold  to  be  dissolved  in  aqua  regia. 

GRECIAN  GILDING  FOR  BRASS  AND  COPPER  ONLY. 

Equal  parts  of  sal-ammoniac  and  corrosive  sublimate  are  dis¬ 
solved  in  nitric  acid  and  a  solution  of  gold  made  with  this 
menstruum.  The  silver  brushed  over  with  it  turns  black,  but  on 
exposure  to  a  red  heat  it  assumes  the  color  of  gold. 

GILDING  BY  DIPPING  ON  SMALL  SCALE. 

Take  one-half  ounce  of  nitric  and  one-half  ounce  muriatic  acid  ; 
dissolve  in  these  one  pennyweight  of  gold,  gently  evaporate  until 
it  crystallizes,  then  add  two  ounces  of  cyanide  of  potassium  dis¬ 
solved  in  fifteen  ounces  of  water.  The  article  to  be  gilded  is  to 
be  simply  put  in  the  solution,  and  a  piece  of  clean  zinc  placed  on 
it,  and  moved  from  one  spot  to  another  until  it  is  sufficiently 
covered  with  gold.  The  vessel  containing  the  solution  should  be 
porcelain. 

GILDING  ON  STEEL  BY  DIPPING. 

In  any  quantity  of  nitro-muriatic  acid  ( aqua  regia)  dissolve  gold 
or  platina,  until,  on  the  application  of  heat,  no  effervescence  en¬ 
sues.  Evaporate  the  solution  thus  formed  to  dryness  by  means 
of  a  gentle  heat ;  then  dissolve  the  dry  mass  thus  formed  in  the 
least  possible  amount  of  water.  Take  the  instrument  known  by 
chemists  as  a  separating  funnel,  which  may  contain  a  liquid 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL, 


49 


ounce  ;  a  quarter  fill  it  with  the  liquid,  and  the  other  three  parts 
All  with  the  best  sulphuric  ether.  The  two  liquids  should  not 
mis.  Then  holding  the  tube  in  a  horizontal  position,  turn  it 
round  with  the  finger  and  thumb.  When  the  ether  has  become 
impregnated  with  the  gold  or  platina,  which  may  be  known  by 
its  change  of  color,  replace  it  in  a  perpendicular  position,  and 
having  stopped  up  the  orifice  with  a  cork,  let  it  stand  for  twenty- 
four  hoars.  At  the  end  of  this  time  the  liquid  will  be  divided 
into  two  parts,  the  darkest  colored  being  below.  Take  out  the 
cork  and  let  the  dark  liquid  flow  off,  and  stop  the  tube  imme¬ 
diately  with  the  cork.  What  remains  in  the  tube  is  the  gilding 
liquid.  The  article  to  be  gilded  must  be  perfectly  free  from  nist 
or  grease,  and  have  received  the  highest  possible  polish.  The 
process  of  gilding  is  as  follows  :  A  vessel  of  glass  or  unglazed 
ware  having  been  procured,  it  should  be  filled  nearly  to  the  top 
with  the  gilding  liquid.  The  article  should  be  dipped  in  this  for 
a  moment,  and  then  be  plunged  into  clear  water  and  well  rinsed. 
After  having  been  thoroughly  dried  with  blotting-paper,  it 
should  be  placed  in  a  temperature  of  150*  Fahr.  until  it  is  heated 
throughout,  and  then  polished  with  rouge  and  wash-leather  ;  or, 
better  still,  be  burnished.  Take  care  that  the  muriate  of  gold  is 
quite  free  from  excess  of  acid,  and  be  careful  to  follow  exactly 
the  above  directions  in  every  particular,  as  only  by  doing  so  can 
perfect  success  be  ensured. 

GILDING  COPPER  CHAINS,  ETC.,  BY  DIPPING. 

Take  a  solution  of  nitro-muriate  of  gold  (gold  dissolved  /h  a 
mixture  of  aquafortis  and  muriatic  acid),  and  add  to  a  gill  of  it  a 
pint  of  ether  or  alcohol,  then  immerse  your  copper  chain  in  it  for 
about  fifteen  minutes,  when  it  will  be  coated  with  a  film  of  gold. 
The  copper  must  be  perfectly  clean,  and  free  from  oxide,  grease, 
or  dirt,  or  it  will  not  take  on  the  gold. 

COPPER,  BRA88,  IRON  OR  STEEL  WITH  LEAP  GOLD. 

Heat  the  articles,  after  thorough  cleaning  from  rust  or  grease, 
to  a  blue  shade  ;  apply  the  leaf  and  burnish  down  with  a  steel 
burnisher.  Add  leaf  upon  leaf  in  the  same  manner,  until  the 
gilding  is  as  thick  as  desired.  Iron  or  steel  receive  the  gold  bet¬ 
ter  if  dipped  for  a  few  moments  in  sulphate  of  copper  solution, 
so  as  to  receive  a  flash  of  copper ;  or  iuto  a  bath  of  the  nitrate  of 
the  binoxide  of  mercury. 


GO 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


GILDING  BY  THE  USE  OF  THE  BATTERY. 

BATTERIES. 

For  gilding  and  silvering  there  are  used  four  different  kinds  of 
batteries.  The  Daniels,  the  Smee,  the  Bunsen,  and  the  Watts 
batteries.  We  will  describe  the  latter  because  it  may  be  made  by 
any  one  and  fully  answers  the  purpose. 

The  battery  which  I  would  recommend,  says  Mr.  Alexander 
W atts,  to  the  attention  of  the  electro  gilder,  and  those  who  desire 
to  deposit  metals  by  electricity  on  a  moderate  scale,  consists  of  a 


N 


Fig.  5. — Watts  Battery. 

cylindrical  stone  jar  a  (fig  5),  capable  of  holding  about  four  gal¬ 
lons  ;  inside  this  jar  is  fitted  a  cylinder  of  sheet  copper  c  (this 
may  be  one  sixty-fourth  of  an  inch  in  thickness),  a  strip  of  the  cop¬ 
per  cylinder  b,  about  half  an  inch  broad,  is  cut  off  to  within  one 
inch,  so  as  to  form  the  positive  electrode  ;  my  motive  in  doing 
this  is  to  insure  a  perfect  connection  between  the  positive  pole 
and  the  cylinder,  and  to  save  the  trouble  of  soldering. 

A  circular  piece  of  wood  forms  a  covering  to  the  jar  ;  in  the 
centre  of  this  cover,  a  hole  about  two  inches  in  diameter  is 
bored,  to  which  an  ox-gullet  or  weazand,  d,  is  fastened,  extend¬ 
ing  to  the  bottom  of  the  jar,  the  lower  end  of  which  is  carefully 
tied  with  a  piece  of  thick  twine ;  or  a  porous  cell  may  be  used 


Instead  if  preferred.  A  zinc  bar  e  (fig  2)  is  cast,  with  a  long  and 
tolerably  thick  copper  wire  in  it,  one  end  of  which  haa  been  pre- 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


51 


dously  coiled  into  a  helix,  so  as  to  form  a  spring,  to  prevent  the 
breaking  off  of  the  wire  at  its  junction  with  the  zinc  bar.  The 
ox -gullet,  or  cell,  is  now  nearly  filled  with  a  concentrated  solution 
of  common  salt,  to  which  a  few  drops  of  hydrochloric  acid  have 
been  added,  and  the  zinc  bar  immersed  in  it,  but  not  allowed  t<? 
touch  the  bottom  of  the  gullet,  or  cell,  which  it  may  be  prevented 
from  doing  by  attaching  a  piece  of  wood  across  the  zinc  bar,  to 
suspend  it  from  the  cover  of  the  battery.  The  jar  is  nearly  filled 
with  water  acidulated  with  two  pounds  of  sulphuric  acid  and  one 
ounce  of  nitric  acid,  and  the  battery  is  ready  for  use.  p  and  N 
(fig  5)  signifying  positive  and  negative  poles. 

In  the  above  form  of  battery  several  advantages  present  them¬ 
selves  ;  its  action  is  constant,  there  is  but  little  local  action,  and 
consequently  but  little  waste  ;  its  current  is  regular,  and  it  is 
very  economical  in  its  construction  and  inexpensive  in  use. 

A  compound  battery  thus  constructed  will  give  most  powerful 
effects  when  a  number  of  cells  are  used,  and  it  will  continue  to 
give  these  effects  for  a  greater  length  of  time  than  any  battery 
with  which  I  am  acquainted. 

In  a  single  cell  of  this  battery,  a  considerable  quantity  of  elec¬ 
tricity  is  disengaged,  of  sufficient  intensity  for  small  operations, 
such  as  gilding  and  so  forth.  When  it  is  desired  to  deposit  a  large 
quantity  of  metal  in  a  given  time,  several  of  these  cells  alternated, 
.hat  is,  having  the  zinc  wire  of  one  cell  united  to  the  copper 
rylinder  of  the  next,  and  so  on,  may  be  employed,  by  which  ar¬ 
rangement  a  vast  amount  of  metal  may  be  deposited  in  a  short 
time,  when  the  solution  is  in  good  working  condition.  But  it  is 
preferable  to  unite  all  the  copper  wires  and  the  zinc  wires,  by 
which  arrangement  the  intensity  is  not  increased. 

The  Daniells  battery,  is  mainly  used  for  electrotyping,  obtaining 
copies  of  casts,  &c. ,  as  it  works  slowly  and  solidly.  It  consists 
of  a  copper  vessel  any  desired  size.  Within  this  stands  the  porous 
cup,  and  within  the  cup  a  thick  zinc  plate  or  cylinder.  The 
negative  wire  proceeds  from  the  zinc  and  the  positive  from  the 
copper  vessel.  Inside  the  porous  cup  there  is  poured  strong  salt 
water— outside  of  it  a  solution  of  blue  vitriol  (sulphate  of  copper). 
The  fluid  in  the  two  vessels  should  stand  about  the  same  bight, 
or  if  there  is  any  difference  that  in  the  porous  cup  should  stand 
higher.  This  acts  just  as  the  previous  batteiy  ;  the  object  to  be 
coppered  being  attached  to  the  zinc  wire,  and  the  waste  being 
supplied  by  some  crystals  of  sulphate  of  copper  on  a  little  shelf 
in  the  copper  vessel.  In  coppering  small  articles  the  work  can  bo 
perfectly  done  in  the  battery  itself  'by  suspending  the  object  in  the 
sulphate  solution— but  in  large  works  or  in  depositing  other  metals 
use  a  separate  bath  for  the  solution,  the  connection  being  mad# 


62 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

by  brass  rods  laid  over  the  bath  and  connected  with  the  two  wirea. 
Care  must,  however,  be  taken  by  the  operator  to  have  all  the  con 
nections  clean,  and  the  bath  perfectly  insulated. 

The  Smee  battery  consists  of  a  glass  or  porcelain  jar,  a  plate 
of  silver  covered  with  a  film  of  platina  (by  dipping  it  into  a  solu¬ 
tion  of  chloride  of  platina)  fixed  in  a  wooden  clamp  between  two 
zinc  plates — but  not  touching  them — being  kept  separate  by  a 
band  of  gutta  percha  around  the  silver  plate.  To  one  of  the  zinc 
plates  and  to  the  silver  plate  are  attached  the  usual  thumb  screws 
to  hold  the  wires  for  connections — and  the  articles  to  be  plated 
are  placed  in  a  separate  bath  suspended  from  the  zinc  wire — while 
the  anode  or  metal  plate  to  supply  metal  withdrawn  from  the 
solution  by  the  process,  is  suspended  from  the  wire  proceeding 
from  the  silver  plate.  These  batteries  are  made  in  all  sizes— a 
battery  of  four  two-quart  batteries  being  sufficient  for  the  ordinary 
work  of  jewelers.  Sulphuric  acid  one  part  to  sixteen  water  is 
the  exciting  fluid,  and  the  zincs  should  be  covered  with  quick¬ 
silver.  This  is  done  by  first  cleaning  the  zincs  in  a  strong  solu¬ 
tion  of  sulphuric  acid  and  water,  and  then  rubbing  well  with 
quicksilver  by  means  of  a  brush.  The  quicksilver  should  be 
contained  in  a  dish.  When  the  battery  becomes  inactive,  the 
zincs  must  be  cleaned  and  freshly  rubbed  with  quicksilver. 

The  Bunsen  battery  consists  of  the  usual  glass  or  porcelain  jar 
containing  a  porous  cup  containing  a  plate  of  coke  or  carbon, 
and  a  cylinder  of  zinc  surrounding  the  porous  cup,  but  not  touch¬ 
ing  it.  Within  the  porous  cup  is  nitric  acid  undiluted,  and  out¬ 
side  of  the  cup  is  a  solution  of  sulphuric  acid  one  part,  and  wrater, 
nine  parts.  The  wires  proceed  from  the  coke  and  zinc  respec¬ 
tively.  This  battery  wrorks  wTith  great  intensity,  and  is  mainly 
used  for  plating  iron  and  steel  and  Britannia  metal,  or  in  giving 
coats  of  brass,  tin,  platinum,  etc.  It  is  better  to  buy  it  than  to 
make  it,  and  all  parts  not  intended  to  be  acted  on  by  the  acids 
must  be  carefully  protected  by  some  acid-proof  coating. 

A  simple  form  of  battery  is  something  like  a  Daniells  reversed, 
and  can  be  made  with  an  ordinary  copper  cup  or  kettle. 

Into  a  copper  vessel  is  put  a  sheet  of  zinc  bent  into  a  cylinder, 
and  surrounding  a  porous  cup.  The  zinc  must  stand  on  glass  or 
other  non-conductor,  and  must  touch  neither  copper  nor  cup.  A 
copper  wrire  may  be  soldered  to  it.  This  battery  is  excited  by 
filling  the  porous  cup  with  the  gold  solution,  and  the  space  out¬ 
side  of  the  cup  with  strong  salt  water.  Have  both  fluids  the 
same  hight.  Put  a  lighted  lamp  under  the  copper  until  the  solu¬ 
tion  reaches  a  temperature  of  about  200  degrees — hang  the  articles 
to  be  plated  from  the  wire  (attached  to  the  zinc)  in  the  gold  solution, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  they  will  take  a  thin  but  beautiful  flask  of  gold 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


63 


GOLD  ELECTRO-GILDING  BATHS. 

Distilled  water,  2\  gallons  ;  cyanide  of  potassium,  ordinary  70 
per  cent.,  10 £  oz.  ;  pure  gold,  3£  oz.  ;  aqua  ammonia,  17 \  oz. 
Heat  the  gold  in  a  glass  flask  with  9  oz.  of  pure  hydrochloric 
acid,  and  4£  oz.  of  pure  nitric  acid.  When  the  gold  is  dissolved, 
continue  the  heat  in  order  to  expel  the  acid  fumes,  and  until  the 
color  of  the  liquid  is  dark  red,  nearly  black.  Remove  from  the 
fire,  and  dissolve  the  crystalline  mass  formed  in  cooling  in  3  or  4 
pints  of  water,  and  pour  into  a  large  porcelain  dish.  Add  the 
ammonia,  which  produces  an  abundant  yellow  precipitate  of  gold 
ammonium  ;  pour  upon  filtering  paper,  and  the  filtered  liquid, 
which  still  contains  traces  of  gold,  is  kept  with  the  saved  waste 
Wash  the  precipitate  remaining  upon  the  filter  several  times  with 
cold  water,  until  it  no  longer  smells  of  ammonia.  It  must  not 
be  dried,  as  it  is  a  fulminating  mixture,  and  consequently  very 
dangerous. 

Next  dissolve  in  the  vessel  used  as  a  bath  the  cyanide  of  potas¬ 
sium  in  the  distilled  water.  Filter,  and  add  the  wet  gold  ammo¬ 
nium,  which  rapidly  dissolves  when  stirred,  and  forms  a  clea? 
gold  bath.  But  before  using  it  cold,  the  ammonia  should  be  ex 
pelled  by  boiling  for  about  one  hour. 

For  a  newly-prepared  cold  electro-gilding  bath,  the  ordinary 
cyanide  of  potassium  is  preferable,  on  account  of  the  potash  it 
contains,  which  renders  the  liquor  a  better  conductor  of  elec¬ 
tricity.  But  for  the  preservation  of  the  strength,  the  pure 
cyanide  is  better,  as  it  possesses  the  advantage  of  a  constant  com¬ 
position,  and  does  not  load  the  solution  with  foreign  salts. 

The  gold  solution  for  maintaining  the  metallic  strength  of  the 
bath  is  prepared  as  follows  :  Transform  the  gold  into  precipitate 
of  gold  ammonium,  as  above  described,  place  it  in  water,  2  pints 
of  water  to  4  oz.  gold,  then  add  cyanide  of  potassium  until  the 
liquor  is  colorless.  If  there  is  not  sufficient  water  with  the  gold 
ammonium,  the  liquor  will  be  dark  red,  and  will  not  be  decolor 
ized  by  cyanide. 

ANOTHER  GOLD  ELECTRO-GILDING  BATH. 

Distilled  water,  2£  gallons ;  cyanide  of  potassium,  pure,  7  oz.  ; 
or  ordinary  cyanide,  according  to  strength,  10  to  14  oz.  ;  pure 
gold,  3£  oz.  Make  a  neutral  chloride  of  gold,  as  in  the  preceding 
formula,  and,  when  cold  and  crystallized,  dissolve  it  in  3£  nints 
of  water.  Filter  if  needed.  Dissolve  the  cyanide  in  14  pin*«  erf 
water,  filter,  and  mix  the  two  solutions,  which  become  colorless 
When  it  is  possible  to  boil  this  bath  for  half  an  hour  before  using 
it,  it  becomes  a  tetter  conductor  of  electricity,  and  the  gilding  i a 


54 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


more  uniform.  Its  strength  is  maintained  by  additions  of  neutral 
chloride  of  gold  and  pure  cyanide  of  potassium,  from  1  to  1J  of 
pure  cyanide  to  1  of  gold. 

Both  the  above  baths  may  be  diluted  with  once  or  twice  their 
volume  of  water ;  the  gilding  will  remain  fine,  but  the  propor¬ 
tion  of  gold  deposited  will  be  less  in  a  given  length  of  time. 

CHLORIDE  OF  GOLD  ELECTRO-GILDING  BATH. 

Yellow  prussiate  of  potash,  7  oz. ;  pure  carbonate  of  potash,  6 
oz.  ;  sal  ammoniac,  1  oz.  ;  pure  gold  transformed  into  chloride, 
h  oz.  ;  water,  gallons.  Boil  all  the  salts  together,  less  the 
chloride  of  gold,  separate  by  filtration  the  precipitate  of  carbon¬ 
ate  of  iron,  then  add  the  chloride  of  gold  dissolved  in  a  little 
water,  and  allow  the  bath  to  cool  off.  Any  kind  of  gold  salt,  and 
the  oxide,  or  even  finely -powdered  metal,  may  take  the  place  of 
the  chloride  of  gold  ;  but  the  latter  is  preferred  on  account  of  the 
facility  of  its  preparation,  and  of  its  solubility.  Any  kind  of 
gold  salt  will  be  transformed  into  cyanide  by  the  cyanide  of  po¬ 
tassium.  The  small  proportion  of  the  chloride  of  potassium 
resulting  from  the  transformation  of  the  chloride  of  gold  into 
cyanide  does  not  prevent  the  good  working  of  the  baths.  The 
addition  of  a  little  prussic  acid  produces  a  brighter,  but  thinner, 
gilding.  The  indicated  cyanides  may  be  replaced  by  the  cyanides 
of  sodium,  calcium,  and  ammonium. 

GENERAL  MANIPULATION. 

Cold  gilding  baths  are  generally  kept  in  porcelain  or  stoneware 
vessels ;  but  for  large  volumes  of  liquor  use  wooden  troughs 
lined  with  gutta-percha  plates.  The  sides  of  the  troughs  support 
anodes  of  laminated  gold,  which  dip  entirely  into  the  liquor,  and 
are  held  by  small  platinum  wires  ;  they  are  connected  with  the 
positive  pole  of  the  battery.  Suspend  the  articles  by  means  of 
metallic  slinging  wires  to  a  movable  frame  of  clean  brass  rods 
connected  with  the  negative  pole. 

The  deposit  of  gold  should  be  pure  yellow,  but  it  has  some¬ 
times  a  dull  earthy  gray  color.  In  that  case  scratch-brush  it  with 
the  greatest  care,  and  then  pass  it  through  the  ormolu  coloring. 
The  gold  anode  conducts  the  electricity,  and  also  maintains  the 
metallic  strength  of  the  bath  up  to  a  certain  point ;  but  it  is 
necessary  to  add  now  and  then  either  the  oxide  or  the  chloride  of 
gold,  and  a  certain  proportion  of  cyanide  of  potassium,  to  make 
up  for  that  transformed  into  carbonate  of  potash  and  cyanide  of 
ammoni* 


THE  GILDEB’S  MANUAL. 


55 


The  proportion  of  cyanide  is  about  double  that  of  the  chloride 
of  gold  added  ;  this  is  ascertained  by  the  color  of  the  bath  and 
the  shade  of  the  deposit ;  if  the  proportion  of  the  chloride  of 
gold  is  too  great,  add  more  cyanide.  If  gold  predominates,  the 
deposit  is  quite  black  or  dark  red  ;  when  the  cyanide  is  in  excess, 
the  gilding  is  very  slow  and  gray,  and  it  will  sometimes  happen 
that  pieces  already  gilt  will  lose  their  gold. 

When  the  bath  is  not  in  use,  the  gold  anode  must  be  removed 
from  it,  otherwise  it  will  be  dissolved.  If  the  anode  were  partly 
immersed  in  the  bath,  it  would  be  rapidly  cut  at  the  level  of  the 
liquid ;  for  this  reason  use  the  platinum  wires,  which  are  not 
acted  upon.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  solution  of  cyanides,  even 
without  the  action  of  the  electric  current,  rapidly  dissolve  all  the 
metals  except  platinum  in  the  cold  or  at  a  moderate  temperature, 
and  that  at  the  boiling  point  they  have  scarcely  any  action  upon 
the  metals. 

Cold  electro-gilding  should  be  done  slowly ;  and  it  is  necessary 
to  often  look  at  the  pieces  in  the  bath,  and  scratch-brush  those 
with  an  irregular  deposit,  or  with  dark  spots.  The  intensity  of 
the  current  should  be  often  changed  by  increasing  or  diminishing 
the  number  of  the  elements,  or  the  strength  or  the  volume  of  the 
.iquors  in  the  battery. 

With  too  much  intensity  in  the  current,  the  deposit  is  black  or 
red  ;  it  is  yellow  with  the  proper  amount  of  electricity.  With  a 
weak  current  those  portions  opposite  the  anode  only  get  covered 
with  gold  ;  it  is  well  to  change  the  position  of  the  objects  often, 
in  order  that  the  deposit  be  regular. 

With  a  freshly-prepared  bath  it  may  happen  that  surfaces  al¬ 
ready  gilt  will  lose  their  gold  by  changing  their  positions.  This 
is  a  sign  that  the  bath  contains  too  much  cyanide  of  potassium, 
and  too  little  gold,  or  that  the  electric  current  is  too  weak. 

IMPROVING  APPEARANCE  AFTER  COLD  BATH.  j 

When  the  deposit  obtained  in  cold  baths  is  unsatisfactory  in 
appearance,  although  the  quantity  is  sufficient,  the  proper  shade 
may  be  imparted  by — 

1.  The  gilt  article  is  steeped  in  a  solution  of  nitrate  of  binoxide 
of  mercury,  until  it  has  become  white.  It  is  heated  afterward 
to  volatilize  the  mercury,  and  scratch-brushed. 

2.  Place  the  article  into  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  then  heat 
it  until  abundant  white  fumes  are  disengaged,  throw  it,  still  hot, 
into  a  weak  pickle  of  sulphuric  acid.  In  this  case,  the  acid  has 
destroyed  the  organic  impurities  which  may  exist  in  the  deposit, 
and  reduces  the  subsalts  of  gold  to  the  metallic  state. 


66 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAI* 


8.  8m**  the  article  with  a  thick  paste  of  water  and  powdered 
berar,  or  with  biphosphate  of  lime  of  the  consistency  of  honey, 
*Dd  heat  until  igneous  fusion  takes  place.  Then  put  the  article 
into  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  which  dissolves  the  borax  or  the  bi- 
ohosphate,  and  leaves  the  gold  with  its  natural  bright  luster. 

When,  after  scratch-brushing  small  gilt  articles,  their  color  is 
not  entirely  satisfactory,  it  may  be  improved  by  plunging  the 
articles  again  into  the  bath  but  for  an  instant,  and  then  imme¬ 
diately  into  boiling  water.  For  gilding  German  silver,  the  solu¬ 
tion  should  be  worked  at  rather  a  low  temperature,  and  with  a 
less  surface  of  anode.  The  solution  should  be  lust  so  weak  in 
precious  metal,  that  the  German  silver  will  not  precipitate  the 
gold  without  tne  aid  of  the  battery ;  otherwise  the  deposit  will 
take  place  so  rapidly  that  the  gold  will  peel  off  when  being  bur¬ 
nished  or  scratch-brushed. 

GOLD  ELECTRO-PLATING  IN  HOT  BATHS. 

Is  more  regular,  more  rapidly  obtained,  and  possesses  a  deeper 
shade,  than  that  by  cold  baths.  1.  Crystallized  phosphate  of 
soda,  21  oz.  ;  bisulphite  of  soda,  3£  oz  ;  pure  cyanide  of  potas¬ 
sium,  £  oz. ;  pure  gold,  transformed  into  chloride,  £  oz. ;  distilled 
water,  gallons.  This  is  satisfactory  for  electro-gilding  silver, 
bronze,  and  other  alloys  rich  in  copper.  For  gilding  wrought 
and  cast  iron  and  steel  directly,  without  a  previous  coat  of  cop¬ 
per,  the  bath  is  modified  as  follows  :  Distilled  water,  2£  gallons ; 
phosphate  of  soda,  17£  oz. ;  bisulphate  of  soda,  A.\  oz. ;  pure  cya 
nide  of  potassium,  $  oz. ;  gold  transformed  into  chloride,  £  oz. 
The  proportion  of  gold  indicated  is  that  of  the  metal  employed, 
and  it  is  not  necessary  to  mind  the  weight  of  the  chloride,  if  the 
proper  amount  of  gold  is  dissolved  in  aqua  regia. 

Ten  parts  of  metallic  gold  corresponds  to  about  18  parts  of 
neutral  chloride,  or  to  23  or  22  parts  of  acid  chloride  such  as  is 
usually  sold.  Steel  articles,  after  cleansing  by  alkalies,  must  be 
passed  rapidly  through  a  very  diluted  solution  of  hydrochloric 
acid,  wiped,  and  dipped  into  a  very  hot  bath  with  an  intense  gal¬ 
vanic  current  at  the  beginning,  which  is  gradually  diminshed  by 
partly  withdrawing  the  p.atinum  anode. 

Small  articles  of  steel,  such  as  pens,  or  watch  hands,  are 
threaded  on  a  thin  brass  wire,  and  separated  one  from  the  other 
by  glass  beads.  After  cleansing,  they  are  put  into  the  boiling 
bath,  rinsed,  dried,  and  polished  in  hot  and  dry  saw-dust. 

It  is  preferable  to  give  zinc,  tin,  lead,  antimony,  or  the  alloys 
of  these  metals,  a  previous  coat  of  copper,  or  to  begin  the  gilding 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


57 


in  a  hot  gold  electro-bath,  nearly  worn  out,  and  to  scratch-brush 
the  articles  carefully.  The  gilding  is  completed  in  a  new  hot 
bath,  with  a  strong  current. 

PREPARATION  OP  THE  GOLD  BATH. 

1.  Put  four-fifths  of  the  distilled  water  into  a  porcelain  dish, 
or  an  enameled  cast-iron  kettle,  heated  over  a  charcoal  stove, 
and  dissolve  in  it,  by  the  aid  of  stirring,  the  crystallized  phos¬ 
phate  of  soda.  When  this  is  entirely  dissolved,  remove  the 
liquor  from  the  fire,  filter  if  necessary,  and  allow  it  to  cool  off. 
2.  Place  the  gold  in  a  glass  flask,  with  }  oz.  of  pure  nitric  acid 
and  1  oz.  of  pure  hydrochloric  acid.  Heat  slowly  until  the  gold 
has  dissolved,  and  then  more  rapidly  to  expel  the  excess  of  acid. 
There  should  remain  a  thick  liquid  of  a  blackish-red  color.  Re¬ 
move  the  flask  from  the  fire,  and  by  cooling  the  contents  form  a 
brown -red  crystalline  mass.  The  cooling  is  important.  3.  Dis¬ 
solve  in  a  porcelain  dish,  in  half  the  remaining  water,  the  bisul¬ 
phite  of  soda  and  the  cyanide  of  potassium.  4.  Then  dissolve 
the  neutral  chloride  of  gold  in  the  remaining  water,  and  pour  it 
slowly,  stirring  with  a  glass  rod,  into  the  cold  solution  of  phos¬ 
phate  of  soda ;  add  the  solution  of  bisulphite  and  of  cyanide. 
The  whole  liquor  soon  becomes  colorless ;  the  bath  is  then  ready. 
If  the  chloride  of  gold  were  thrown  into  the  solution  of  phosphate 
of  soda  while  hot,  there  would  be  danger  of  a  partial  reduction 
of  the  gold  in  the  form  of  a  metallic  powder. 

The  hot  electro-gilding  baths  for  small  quantities  of  liquor  are 
kept  in  porcelain  dishes,  but  for  large  baths  use  enameled  cast- 
iron  kettles.  The  temperature  may  vary  from  120°  to  175°  Fahr. 
Small  articles,  such  as  jewelry,  are  kept  in  the  right  hand  with 
the  conducting  wire,  and  plunged  and  agitated  in  the  bath.  The 
left  hand  holds  the  anode  of  platinum  wire,  which  is  steeped 
more  or  less  in  the  liquor,  according  to  the  surface  of  the  articles 
to  be  gilt.  Large  pieces  are  suspended  to  one  or  more  brass  rods, 
and  are  not  moved  about.  The  gilding  is  very  rapid,  and  a  suf¬ 
ficient  thickness  is  obtained  after  a  few  minutes.  The  shade  of 
the  gold  deposit  is  modified  by  the  amount  of  platinum  anode 
dipping  into  the  liquor.  If  it  dips  but  a  little,  relatively  to  the 
surface  of  the  articles,  the  gilding  is  pale  ;  by  immersing  it  more 
the  shade  will  become  deeper  and  deeper,  until  it  is  red.  The 
platinum  anode  is  connected  by  a  conducting  wire  to  the  positive 
pole  of  the  battery,  and  the  conducting  wire  starting  from  the 
negative  pole,  touches  or  supports  the  articles  to  be  gilt. 

As  a  rule,  it  is  preferable  to  replace  the  impoverished  baths  by 
fresh  ones,  instead  of  keeping  up  their  strength  by  additions  of 


58 


THE  GILBERTS  MANUAL. 


metals,  especially  for  small  articles.  When  gilding  large  pieces, 
maintain  the  strength  of  the  baths  by  successive  additions  of 
chloride  of  gold,  or,  what  is  better,  of  equal  parts  of  gold  ammo¬ 
nium  and  pure  cyanide  of  potassium.  In  this  manner  baths  may 
be  made  to  last  a  long  time,  but  they  are  open  to  the  inconve¬ 
nience  of  furnishing  a  red  or  green  gilding,  if  many  articles  of 
copper  or  of  silver  have  been  gilt  in  them.  Articles  of  copper 
or  its  alloys,  should  be  perfectly  cleansed,  and  may  be  passed . 
through  a  very  diluted  solution  of  nitrate  of  binoxide  of  mercury.  » 

Silver  requires  to  be  heated,  dipped,  and  perfectly  scratch- 
brushed.  For  this  metal  the  gilding  should  be  strong,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  corners  and  raised  parts  from  becoming  white  and 
bare  ;  and  it  is  a  good  precaution  to  give  it  a  coat  of  copper  or 
brass,  or  a  first  gilding  in  an  old  bath. 

2.  Phosphate  of  soda,  14  oz. ;  bisulphite  of  soda,  oz. ;  bicar. 
bonate  of  potash  and  caustic  potash,  If  oz.  of  each  ;  cyanide  of 
potassium  and  pure  gold  for  neutral  chloride,  £  oz.  of  each  ;  dis¬ 
tilled  water,  gallons. 

All  the  substances  except  the  chloride  of  gold  may  be  dissolved 
together,  and  filtered  if  necessary;  then  the  solution  of  chloride 
of  gold  is  added.  This  bath  is  heated  at  from  120°  to  140°  Fahr., 
and  produces  a  very  fine  gilding,  but  it  requires  an  intense  elec¬ 
tric  current.  It  does  not  suit  for  the  direct  gilding  of  iron  or 
steel. 

3.  Yellow  prussiate  of  potash,  5f  oz. ;  carbonate  of  potash, 
pure,  If  oz. ;  hydrochlorate  of  ammonia,  §  oz. ;  pure  gold  for 
neutral  chloride,  £  oz. ;  water,  1  gallon.  Dissolve  the  first  three 
salts  in  hot  water,  and  filter  the  solution  ;  after  cooling  add  the 
gold  solution,  and  boil  for  half  an  hour,  taking  care  to  replace 
the  evaporated  water. 

4.  Pure  cyanide  of  potassium,  If  oz. ;  pure  gold  for  neutral 
chloride,  £  oz. ;  water,  5  pints.  Dissolve  the  chloride  of  gold  in 
the  whole  of  the  water,  and  add  the  cyanide,  which  dissolves  and 
makes  the  liquor  colorless.  This  bath  may  be  employed  with 
little  regard  to  temperature,  and  is  simple  in  its  ingredients.  Un¬ 
fortunately  it  is  not  uniform  in  its  working,  as  it  will  ungild  one 
face  of  the  object  while  the  other  face  becomes  gilt,  or  may  pro¬ 
duce  a  red  gilding  at  the  bottom  and  a  yellow  one  at  the  top. 

These  inconveniences  will  partly  disappear  by  a  long  ebullition. 

MANAGEMENT  OF  DOT  GOLD  BATHS. 

The  baths  may  be  more  concentrated,  the  quantity  of  water 
may  be  diminished,  without  changing  the  proportions  of  the  salts 
and  of  the  gold.  But  it  is  preferable  to  use  diluted  solutions, 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL 


59 


which  deliver  the  metal  in  smaller  quantity  in  a  given  time,  but 
more  homogeneous  in  substance.  The  articles  should  be  kept  in 
constant  agitation  ;  there  is  then  no  difference  of  specific  gravity 
among  the  layers  of  the  liquor,  and  the  gilding  possesses  a  uni¬ 
form  color.  A  foil  or  a  wire  of  platinum  is  preferred  to  a  soluble 
anode  of  gold  when  electro-gilding  by  the  aid  of  heat,  as  it  is  not 
dissolved,  and  is  more  handy  for  regulating  the  intensity  of  the 
current,  by  immersing  it  more  or  less  in  the  liquid.  Thus  with 
the  same  bath  and  battery  three  different  shades  can  be  obtained: 
a  pale  color,  with  the  anode  dipping  but  slightly;  a  yellow  color, 
when  the  immersion  is  greater,  and  a  red  gold,  if  the  whole  anode 
is  in  the  liquor. 

In  a  bath  of  pink  gold,  composed  of  gold,  copper  and  silver,  by 
increasing  or  diminishing  the  length  of  the  platinum  anode  in  the 
liquor,  the  deposit  will  have  a  white,  yellow,  or  red  shade,  as  the 
various  metals  require  different  degrees  of  intensity  for  their  re¬ 
duction  in  the  galvanic  current. 

In  hot  electro-gilding  baths,  and  especially  with  small  articles, 
keep  them  in  the  right  hand  constantly  moving  in  the  liquid, 
while  the  left  hand  is  employed  in  changing  the  position  of  the 
platinum  anode,  so  as  to  suit  the  surface  and  the  nature  of  the 
articles,  and  obtain  the  desired  shade. 

The  hot  baths  may  have  their  strength  maintained  by  success¬ 
ive  additions  of  chloride  of  gold  with  a  proper  proportion  of  the 
other  salts  ;  but  it  is  preferable  to  wear  out  the  bath  entirely  and 
to  prepare  a  new  one.  When  a  bath  is  exhausted,  the  gilding  is 
red  if  much  copper  has  been  gilt  in  it,  and  green  in  the  case  of 
silver  articles.  It  may  then  be  used  for  a  first  coat  upon  objects 
which  are  to  be  finished  in  a  new  bath.  Thus  green  or  white 
golds  result  from  the  simultaneous  deposit  of  gold  or  silver  in 
various  proportions  ;  red  gold  from  the  alloy  of  copper  and  gold  ; 
and  pink  gold  from  the  combination  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper. 

GREEN  AND  WHITE  GOLDS. 

Add  to  one  of  the  above  baths  a  solution  of  the  double  cyanide 
of  silver  and  potassium,  or  a  diluted  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver, 
until  the  desired  shade  is  obtained.  The  tints  will  vary  from  a, 
leek -green  to  a  very  pale  whitish-yellow.  This  kind  of  gilding 
mixed  upon  the  same  articles  with  red,  yellow,  or  pink  gold,  will 
produce  splendid  effects  of  contrast,  especially  upon  chased  parts, 
where  the  green  gold  has  a  velvety  luster. 

RED  GOLD. 

Mix  in  suitable  proportions  the  electro-copper  bath  already  de¬ 
scribed  with  ope  of  the  baths  for  electro-gilding ;  or  use  an  old 


60 


THE  GIXDER’s  MANUAL. 

bath  in  which  a  great  many  copper  articles  have  been  gilt,  with 
an  intense  current  of  electricity.  Yellow  gilding  may  be  made  to 
pass  to  red,  by  beating  it  after  it  has  been  covered  with  a  paste  ol 
acetato  of  copper,  cream  of  tartar,  and  common  salt.  Plunge 
tho  heated  piece  into  a  weak  solution  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  care¬ 
fully  scratch-brush  afterward. 

PINK  GOLD  OR  NEW  GOLD. 

This  kind  of  gilding  is  the  most  difficult  to  obtain  on  accoun* 
of  the  different  tendency  of  the  various  metals  to  galvanic  decom¬ 
position.  Pink  gilding,  to  be  perfect,  should  present  at  the  same 
time  the  red,  yellow,  and  white  shades,  in  such  a  manner  that  a 
practiced  eye  will  distinguish  them.  The  articles  are  first  gilt 
yellow  by  the  pyrophosphate  bath  for  dipping,  or  by  the  hot 
electro-bath.  Then,  without  drying,  but  keeping  them  in  fresh 
water,  small  packages  are  made  weighing  from  1  to  2  oz.  each  ; 
pass  lightly  through  the  mercurial  solution,  and  then  red  gilt  iD 
an  old  and  hot  bath,  where  a  great  deal  of  copper  has  already 
been  gilt,  or  in  a  new  bath  composed  of  10  parts  of  hot  electro- 
gilding  bath,  first  formula,  and  3  to  4  parts  of  the  first  coppering 
solution,  with  battery. 

For  imparting  the  whitish  tint  of  articles  gilt  by  stirring  and 
of  the  gold  alloy  for  jewelry,  the  red  gilding  is  passed  through  a 
boiling  and  nearly  exhausted  bath  of  pyrophosphate,  to  which 
add  one-tenth,  or  a  twentieth,  or  a  thirtieth  of  its  volume  of  a 
silver  bath,  or  simply  a  few  drops  of  a  concentrated  solution  of 
nitrate  of  silver.  This  gilding  should  be  scratch-brushed  or  bur¬ 
nished,  and  may  be  chased,  but  the  luster  soon  disappears  on  ac¬ 
count  of  the  proportion  of  copper. 

To  obtain  the  proper  pink  gilding,  if  the  first  deposit  is  unsat¬ 
isfactory,  plunge  the  articles  for  a  few  seconds  into  a  mixture  of 
5  parts  of  sulphuric  acid  to  1  of  nitric  acid.  The  copper  and 
silver  are  dissolved,  and  the  yellow  gilding  reappears,  upon 
which  the  operation  may  be  begun  anew.  Besides  the  variations 
of  color  in  gilding  due  to  the  dipping  of  the  anodes  more  or  less 
;nto  the  bath,  and  to  the  strength  of  the  electric  current,  moving 
the  articles  about  in  the  bath  will  at  all  times  enable  the  operator 
to  vary  the  color  of  the  deposit  from  pale  straw -yellow  to  a  very 
dark  red.  The  temperature  of  the  solution  likewise  influences 
the  color  of  the  deposit,  the  color  being  lightest  when  the  solu¬ 
tion  is  cold,  and  gradually  becoming  darker  as  the  temperature 
Increases. 

GILDING  WATCH  PARTS. 

In  gilding  small  articles  for  watchmakers,  gold  is  seldom  di¬ 
rectly  applied  upon  the  copper ;  there  is  generally  a  preliminary 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


61 


operation,  called  graining,  by  which  a  grained  and  slightly  dead 
appearance  is  given  to  the  articles. 

PREPARATION  OP  THE  SILVER  PARTS. 

Marks  of  the  file  are  obliterated  by  a  rubbing  upon  a  wet  stone, 
and  lastly  upon  an  oilstone.  Any  oil  or  grease  is  removed  by 
boiling  the  parts  for  a  few  minutes  in  a  solution  made  of  100 
parts  of  water  and  10  of  caustic  soda  or  potash  ;  rinse  in  clean 
water,  which  should  wet  them  entirely  if  all  the  oil  has  been  re¬ 
moved.  The  articles  are  threaded  upon  a  brass  wire ;  cleanse 
them  rapidly  in  the  compound  acids  for  a  bright  luster,  and  dry 
them  carefully  in  white  wood  saw-dust.  The  pieces  are  fastened 
upon  the  even  side  of  a  block  of  cork  by  brass  pins  with  flat 
heads.  The  parts  are  then  thoroughly  rubbed  over  with  a  brush, 
entirely  free  from  grease,  and  charged  with  a  paste  of  water  and 
very  fine  pumice-stone  powder.  Move  the  brush  in  circles,  in 
order  not  to  rub  one  side  more  than  the  other  ;  thoroughly  rinse 
in  clean  water,  and  no  particle  of  pumice-dust  should  remain  up¬ 
on  the  pieces,  or  the  cork.  Next  place  the  cork  and  the  pieces 
into  a  weak  mercurial  solution,  which  very  slightly  whitens  the 
copper,  composed  of — water,  two  and  one-fifth  gallons,  nitrate  or 
binoxide  of  mercury,  one-fourteenth  of  an  ounce;  sulphuric  acid, 
one-seventh  of  an  ounce.  The  pieces  are  passed  quickly  through 
the  solution,  and  then  rinsed.  This  operation  gives  strength  to 
file  graining  which,  without  it,  possesses  no  adherence. 

GRAINING  POWDERS. 

1.  Silver  in  impalpable  powder,  1  oz. ;  cream  of  tartar,  finely 
pulverized  and  passed  through  a  silk  sieve,  10  oz. ;  common  salt, 
pulverized  and  sifted  as  above,  2  lbs.  2.  Silver  powder,  1  oz. ; 
cream  of  tartar,  4  to  5  oz. ;  common  salt,  white  and  clean,  13  oz. 
•i.  Silver  powder,  1  oz. ;  cream  of  tartar,  3  oz. ;  common  salt, 
white  and  clean,  2  lbs.  All  these  substances  should  be  as  pure 
us  possible,  and  perfectly  dry.  Cream  of  tartar  is  generally  dry; 
common  salt  often  needs,  before  or  after  it  has  been  pulverized, 
a  thorough  drying  in  a  porcelain  or  silver  dish,  in  which  it  is  kept 
stirred  with  a  glass  rod  or  a  silver  spoon.  The  mixture  of  the 
three  substances  must  be  thorough,  and  effected  at  a  moderate 
and  protracted  heat.  The  graining  is  the  coarser  the  more  com¬ 
mon  salt  there  is  in  the  mixture  ;  and  it  is  the  finer  and  more 
condensed  as  the  proportion  of  cream  of  tartar  is  greater,  but  it  is 
then  more  difficult  to  scratch-brush. 

SILVER  POWDER. 

The  silver  powder  is  obtained  by  immersing  cleansed  copper 
plates  in  a  very  diluted  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver  made  with 


62 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


distilled  water.  The  more  diluted  the  solution  is,  the  finer  is  the 
precipitate  of  silver  upon  the  copper,  and  the  more  easily  it  is  re¬ 
moved.  In  a  glass  or  porcelain  vessel  §  of  an  ounce  of  crystal- 
ized  nitrate  of  silver  are  dissolved  in  2£  gallons  of  distilled  water, 
and  5  or  6  bands  of  cleansed  copper  f  of  an  inch  wide  are  placed 
in  it.  These  bands  should  be  long  enough  to  allow  of  a  portion 
being  above  the  liquid.  The  whole  is  kept  in  a  dark  place  for 
24  hours,  and  now  and  then  stirred  with  the  copper  bands.  This 
motion  is  sufficient  to  loosen  the  deposited  silver,  and  present 
fresh  copper  surfaces  to  the  action  of  the  liquor.  When  no  more- 
silver  deposits  on  the  copper,  the  operation  is  completed,  and 
there  remains  a  blue  solution  of  nitrate  of  copper.  The  silver 
powder  is  washed  by  decantation,  or  upon  a  filter,  until  there 
remains  nothing  of  the  copper  solution.  It  is  then  carefully 
dried,  avoiding  contact  with  hard  bodies.  Nuremberg  powder  is 
produced  by  grinding  a  mixture  of  honey  and  silver  foil  upon  a 
ground-glass  plate  with  a  muller  until  the  proper  fineness  is  ob 
tained.  The  silver  is  separated  by  dissolving  the  honey  in  boiling 
water,  and  washing  the  deposited  metal  in  a  filter,  until  there  is 
no  remaining  trace  of  honey.  The  silver  is  then  carefully  dried 
at  a  gentle  heat. 

GRAINING. 

A  thin  paste  made  of  one  of  the  above  powders  and  water  is 
spread  by  means  of  a  spatula  upon  the  watch  parts  held  upon 
the  cork.  The  cork  itself  is  placed  upon  an  earthenware  dish,  to 
which  a  rotating  movement  is  imparted  by  the  left  hand.  An 
oval  brush  with  close  bristles,  held  in  the  right  hand,  rubs  the 
watch  parts  in  every  direction,  but  alwaj^s  with  a  rotary  motion. 
A  new  quantity  of  the  paste  is  added  two  or  three  times,  and 
rubbed  in  the  manner  indicated.  The  more  the  brush  and  the 
cork  are  turned  the  rounder  becomes  the  grain,  which  is  a  good 
quality;  and  the  more  paste  added  the  larger  the  grain. 

When  the  desired  grain  is  obtained,  the  pieces  are  washed  and 
then  scratch-brushed.  The  wire  brushes  employed,  which  usually 
come  from  Nuremberg,  are  made  of  brass  wires  as  fine  as  hair, 
very  stiff  and  springy.  It  is  necessary  to  anneal  them  upon  an 
even  fire  to  different  degrees  ;  one  soft,  or  half  annealed,  for  the 
first  operation  of  uncovering  the  grain  ;  one  harder,  for  bringing 
up  the  luster ;  and  one  very  soft,  or  fully  annealed,  used  before 
gilding  for  removing  any  marks  which  may  have  been  made  by 
the  preceding  tool,  and  for  scratch-brushing  after  the  gilding, 
which,  like  the  graining,  must  be  done  by  giving  a  rotary  motion 
to  the  tool.  Decoctions  of  liquorice  or  saponaire  are  employed 
In  this  operation. 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


ea 


RESISTS. 

If  it  happens  that  the  same  watch  part  is  composed  of  coppet 
and  steel,  this  latter  metal  requires  to  be  preserved  against  the 
action  of  the  cleansing  acids  and  of  the  graining  mixture,  by  a 
composition  called  resist.  This  consists  in  covering  the  pinions 
and  other  steel  parts  with  a  fatty  composition,  which  is  sufficiently 
hard  to  resist  the  tearing  action  of  the  bristle  and  wire  brushea» 
and  insoluble  in  the  alkalies  of  the  gilding  bath.  Yellow  wax,  2 
oz. ;  translucent  colophony,  3£  oz. ;  extra  fine  red  sealing-wax, 
1§  oz. ;  impalpable  peroxide  of  iron  or  polishing  rouge,  1  oz. 
Melt  the  colophony  and  sealing-wax  in  a  porcelain  dish  upon  a 
water  bath,  and  afterward  add  the  yellow  wax.  When  the  whole 
is  thoroughly  fluid,  gradually  add  the  rouge,  and  stir  with  a 
wooden  or  glass  rod.  Withdraw  the  heat,  but  continue  the 
stirring  until  the  mixture  becomes  solid,  otherwise  all  the  oxide 
of  iron  will  fall  to  the  bottom  of  the  mixture.  The  flat  parts  to 
receive  this  resist  are  slightly  heated,  and  then  covered  with  the 
mixture  which  melts  and  is  easily  spread. 

For  covering  steel  pinions,  employ  a  small  gouge  of  copper  or 
brass  fixed  to  a  wooden  handle.  The  metallic  part  of  the  gouge 
is  heated  upon  an  alcohol  lamp,  and  a  small  quantity  of  resist  is 
taken  with  it.  The  composition  soon  melts,  and,  by  turning  the 
tool  around  the  steel  pinion,  this  becomes  coated.  Use  a  scratch¬ 
brush  with  long  wires,  as  their  flexibility  prevents  the  removal  of 
the  composition. 

When  the  resist  is  to  be  removed  after  gilding,  place  the  parts 
in  warm  oil  or  into  tepid  turpentine,  then  into  a  very  hot  soap- 
water  or  alkaline  solution,  and  lastly  into  fresh  water.  Scratch¬ 
brush  and  dry  in  warm  saw-dust  of  white  wood.  The  holes  of 
the  pinions  are  cleaned  and  polished  with  small  pieces  of  very 
soft  white  wood,  the  friction  of  which  is  sufficient  to  restore  the 
primitive  luster. 

The  gilding  of  parts  composed  of  copper  and  steel  requires  the 
greatest  care,  as  the  slightest  rust  destroys  their  future  useful, 
ness.  Should  some  gold  deposit  upon  the  steel,  it  should  be  re¬ 
moved  by  rubbing  with  a  piece  of  wood  and  impalpable  pumice- 
dust,  tin  putty,  or  rouge. 

GILDING  SEVERAL  COLORS  ON  SAME  OBJECT. 

Again,  when  it  is  desired  to  obtain  gildings  of  several  colors 
upon  the  same  object,  resists,  generally  made  of  some  kind  of 
varnish,  are  used  ;  after  having  gilt  an  article  of  a  uniform  red 
or  green  color,  it  is  covered  with  a  fat  varnish,  made  drying  by 
the  addition  of  chromate  of  lead,  at  those  places  which  are  to  re- 


64 


THE  GI^DER’8  MANUAL. 


sist  the  action  of  the  new  bath.  By  means  of  resists  and  suc¬ 
cessive  baths,  several  different  shades  can  be  obtained  upon  the 
same  object.  The  resist  varnishes  are  applied  with  a  brush  or 
pencil,  and  should  be  thoroughly  dried  in  a  stove  before  placing 
the  object  into  another  solution.  These  varnishes  may  be  colored 
with  various  oxides  or  colored  salts,  in  order  to  facilitate  their 
use  upon  those  places  which  should  be  sharply  marked  ;  chromate 
of  lead  and  artificial  ultramarine  blue  are  well  suited  for  the  pur¬ 
pose. 

Resist  varnishes  are  also  used  for  preserving  the  reverse  parts 
of  articles  which  have  to  receive  the  gilding  only  on  the  front. 
When  the  operation  is  finished,  the  resist  is  easily  removed  by  a 
washing,  first  with  essence  of  turpentine,  gasoline,  benzine  or 
benzole,  and  then  with  alcohol ;  when  benzole  is  used,  it  is  suf¬ 
ficient  to  wash  the  article  in  boiling  water,  and  then  to  dry  it  iD 
warm  saw  dust  of  fir-wood.  It  comes  out  perfectly  clean.  This 
is  not  always  the  case  with  rectified  turpentine,  and  it  may  be 
accessary  to  plunge  the  object  into  a  hot  alkaline  lye,  then  to 
rinse  and  dry  it  in  warm  saw-dust. 

MODUS  OFEBANDI  OF  GILDING  BY  BATTERY. 

After  the  preparations  described,  the  gilding  may  be  effected 
by  some  of  the  processes  already  mentioned.  Hot  baths  must 
not  be  employed  for  those  pieces  covered  with  the  resist.  Heat 
one- eighth  of  an  ounce  of  finely  laminated  and  pure  gold  in  or¬ 
der  to  destroy  all  organic  substances,  dissolve  in  a  glass  fiask  with 
three-sixteenths  of  an  ounce  of  pure  nitric  acid,  and  three- eighths 
of  an  ounce  of  pure  hydrochloric  acid.  When  the  gold  is  dis¬ 
solved,  evaporate  the  excess  of  acids,  leaving  in  the  flasks  a 
syrupy  dark-red  liquid  ;  the  whole  is  then  removed  from  the  fire 
and  allowed  to  cool.  Dissolve  the  chloride  of  gold  in  about  2 
-  oz.  of  distilled  water,  and  pour  into  a  large  glass  vessel.  Dilute 
with  about  a  pint  of  distilled  water,  and  pour  into  the  liquor  a 
certain  excess  of  pure  ammonia,  which  precipitates  the  gold  in 
the  state  of  a  yellow  powder  of  ammoniuret  of  gold,  or  fulmin¬ 
ate  of  gold,  which  is  a  detonating  powder  when  dry.  The  pro¬ 
portion  of  ammonia  is  sufficient,  when  a  new  quantity  of  this 
reagent,  being  added  to  the  clear  liquid  above  the  settled 
powder,  does  not  produce  any  new  precipitate. 

The  clear  liquor  is  decanted  and  kept  among  the  saved  waste. 
Collect  the  settled  powder  upon  a  small  filter,  previously  wetted 
with  distilled  water,  then  wash  with  distilled  water  until  all 
ammoniacal  smell  has  disappeared.  The  filter  and  its  contents 
are  afterward  put  into  a  glass  or  porcelain  vessel  with  a  quart  of 


THU  GILDER^  MANUAL. 


65 


distilled  water  and  three-eights  of  an  ounce  of  pure  cyanide 
of  pottasiuin,  which  rapidly  destroys  the  gold  and  passes  through 
the  filter.  The  whole  is  filtered  again,  boiled  for  15  to  20  min¬ 
utes,  filtered  again,  and  left  to  cool.  The  bath  obtained  is  excel¬ 
lent  for  gilding  the  most  delicate  watch  parts,  with  an  electric 
current  regulated  to  suit  the  surfaces  to  the  gilt, 

Seveial  of  these  baths,  in  various  degrees  of  exhaustion,  are 
generally  kept  in  glass  or  porcelain  vessels  flat-bottomed,  and 
holding  from  7  to  9  pints  within  a  depth  of  4  to  5  inches.  The 
articles  to  be  gilt  are  suspended  to  metallic  holders,  connected 
with  the  zinc  pole  of  a  battery,  and  of  a  shape  appropriate  to  the 
nature  and  form  of  the  watch  parts.  One  or  more  platinum 
wires  are  used  for  anodes,  and  are  disposed  in  the  center  or  round 
the  bath.  The  battery  most  generally  employed  is  composed  of 
three,  four,  five  or  six  small  Daniell’s  elements.  Those  with  bal¬ 
loons,  on  account  of  their  constancy,  should  be  preferred. 

The  slower  the  gold  deposit,  the  finer  and  more  adherent  it  is. 
When  the  coating  is  sufficient,  wash  the  articles  in  clean  water, 
and  fix  again  upon  the  cork  in  order  to  proceed  to  the  last  scratch- 
brushing  with  a  decoction  of  liquorice,  or  of  horse-chestnut. 

GILDING  THIN  WIRES. 

Gilt  silver  is  fine  ;  gilt  copper  is  half  fine ;  and  copper  or 
brass  alone  is  false.  At  the  present  time,  nearly  all  gilt  wire  is 
gilt  by  electricity  ;  the  baths  and  the  battaries  are  the  same  as 
those  already  mentioned,  but  for  the  success  of  the  operation  a 
certain  disposition  of  the  apparatus  is  required.  Upon  a  brick 
furnace,  which  may  be  heated  either  with  solid  fuel  or  gas,  is  a 
cast-iron  enameled  kettle,  about  3  feet  long,  18  inches  wide,  and 
4  to  7  inches  deep,  for  holding  the  gold  bath.  If  gas  is  used  as 
fuel,  the  burner  should  be  an  elleptic  ring  with  25  or  30  jets 
attached  to  it,  or  the  same  kettle  may  be  used  as  a  cold  bath  if 
desired,  the  fire  being  optional.  At  one  end  of  the  apparatus, 
near  the  battery,  are  two  wooden  stands  supporting  an  iron  rod 
which  passes  through  a  certain  number  of  wooden  spools  carry¬ 
ing  the  wire  to  be  gilt.  These  spools  turn  freely  upon  the  rod, 
and  the  unwound  wires,  before  dipping  into  the  bath,  are  pressed 
against  a  copper  or  brass  rod,  connected  with  the  negative,  zinc, 
pole  of  the  battery  ;  thus  the  wires  are  connected  with  this  pole. 
The  wires  dip  into  the  bath  to  about  two-tliirds  of  its  depth,  and 
are  kept  stretched  by  small  grooved  pulleys  of  glass,  porcelain  or  ' 
ivory,  rolling  freely  upon  glass  or  ivory  axes,  which  are  kept 
near  the  bottom  by  supports  screwed  on  the  top  edges  of  the 
kettle. 


66 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


At  the  bottom  of  the  bath,  and  crossing  the  wires  to  be  gilt, 
are  two  or  more  platinum  wires,  the  vertical  branches  of  which 
communicate  with  the  positive,  or  carbon,  pole:  These  plati¬ 
num  anodes  must  nowhere  touch  wires  to  be  gilt,  as  these  two 
kinds  of  wire  represent  the  two  poles  of  the  battery  in  the  bath. 
At  the  other  end  of  the  apparatus  is  another  series  of  wooden 
reels,  upon  which  the  gilt  wire  is  wound  up.  These  reels  are 
fixed  to  the  square  iron  axis  which  traverses  them,  and  which  is 
turned  by  gearing,  slowly  enough  to  ensure  a  good  gilding  to  the 
wire,  during  its  passage  through  the  bath.  After  passing  through 
the  gilding  bath,  the  wires  are  rinsed  and  dried  by  winding  over 
two  wooden  rollers  revolving  freely  upon  their  axis,  and  plunged 
by  means  of  grooved  rollers  into  the  first  trough,  filled  with  a 
weak  solution  of  cyanide  of  potassium,  which  cleans  and  bright¬ 
ens  the  gilding  ;  they  then  pass  into  the  second  trough  filled  with 
water,  which  is  constantly  replaced,  which  removes  the  salts 
from  the  wires. 

The  drying  rollers,  covered  with  several  layers  of  calico,  are 
moved  by  gear  in  opposite  directions  ;  the  wires  are  thoroughly 
dried  in  a  flat  tube,  kept  at  a  dull  red  heat  in  the  furnace.  In  a 
kettle  of  the  size  named,  20  wires  may  be  gilt  at  the  same  time. 

Copper  wires  are  generally  previously  silvered  and  passed  once 
through  a  draw  plate,  to  avoid  the  cleansing  process  before  gild 
»ng.  The  more  intense  the  battery,  or  the  slower  the  wires  pass 
through  the  bath,  so  will  the  deposit  of  gold  be  increased  ;  anc 
it  will  be  well  to  weigh  the  bobbins  before  and  after  the  opera¬ 
tion,  for  which  purpose  the  spools  for  winding  up  and  winding 
out  should  be  of  the  same  weight.  This  gilding  requires  constant 
supervision,  either  for  uniting  the  broken  wires,  the  severed  parts 
of  which  may  touch  the  anodes,  and  stop  the  operation  ;  or  for 
regulating  the  intensity  of  the  battery,  which,  if  too  powerful, 
will  produce  a  red  gilding,  or,  if  too  weak,  a  green  gilding. 

Baths  of  double  cyanide  of  gold  and  patassium  are  employed 
•cold  or  slightly  tempid  ;  baths  with  phosphate  and  bisulphite 
of  soda  are  used  for  hot  electro-gilding,  but  they  are  concentrated 
until  the  proportion  of  water  is  one-half  of  that  indicated.  As 
ithe  platinum  anodes  do  not  make  up  for  the  metallic  loss  of  the 
Ibath,  it  is  frequently  necessary  to  add  new  portions  of  metal  and 
.salts,  in  the  manner  already  described. 

Pure  gold  wire  is  sometimes  gilt,  in  order  to  impart  to  it  a 
more  uniform  and  deeper  shade.  After  being  gilt  the  wire  is 
passed  through  the  draw-plate  or  the  rollers.  By  the  draw-plate  it 
is  diminished  by  about  one-fourth  or  one-half  of  a  number  to  re¬ 
move  the  dulness  of  the  deposit,  and  bring  up  the  luster.  When 
gilt  wire  is  flattened  between  the  rollers,  its  surface  is  bright 


! 


THE  GILDER'S  MANUAL. 


67 


or  dull  according  to  the  state  of  the  surface  of  the  rollers.  Sil¬ 
vering,  or  any  other  metallic  electro-deposit  upon  thin  wires,  can 
be  effected  in  a  similar  manner. 

GILDING  WITH  A  DEAD  LUSTER. 

1.  By  the  slow  deposit  of  a  large  proportion  of  gold.  This  gild¬ 
ing  is  very  durable,  but  dull  and  earthy  in  appearance,  and  is 
costly. 

2.  By  acids  ;  giving  a  dead  luster  to  the  metallic  surface,  before 
gilding,  and  by  the  processes  indicated  in  the  cleansing  opera 
tions.  This  is  employed  for  small  articles,  or  when  gilding  by 
dipping,  for  bronze  articles,  or  large  embossed  work. 

3.  With  frosted  silver,  by  depositing  upon  the  object  to  be  gilt 
a  coat  of  frosted  silver,  and  then  gilding  in  a  good  bath  ;  this 
method  is  expensive,  the  burnished  parts  are  greenish,  and  the  in¬ 
termediary  coat  of  silver  is  more  easily  blackened  by  sulphur  fumes 
than  gold. 

4.  By  depositing  from  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  copper  decom¬ 
posed  by  a  battery  a  coat  of  this  metal,  which  possesses  a  pink 
dead  luster.  The  whole  is  rapidly  passed  through  the  compound 
Acids  for  a  bright  luster,  and  the  mercurial  solution,  and  then  gilt 
.n  a  good  bath.  When  the  dead  luster  obtained  in  the  bath  is 
perfect,  the  compound  acids  may  be  dispensed  with,  and  merely 
place  the  article  in  the  mercurial  solution  before  it  is  gilt.  This 
mode  is  generally  preferred,  as  the  gilding  is  very  handsome  in 
luster  and  color.  The  burnished  parts  will  be  red,  if  vinegar  or 
soap-water  is  used  ;  and  of  a  fine  yellow  color,  if  the  burnishing 
tool  be  wetted  with  a  decoction  of  flax-seed,  or  of  marsh-mallow 
root.  If  the  gold  deposit  is  of  insufficient  thickness,  it  will! 
blacken  in  time,  by  the  oxidization  of  the  intermediate  coat  of 
copper. 

5.  Dead  luster  by  mercury,  or  the  old  process  of  gilding  by  fire, 
which  furnishes  the  most  durable  gilding,  although  costly,  as  al¬ 
ready  described. 


GILDING  FOR  POTTERIES. 


Much  of  the  porcelain  and  china  ware  sold  is  gilded  or  painted 
after  it  leaves  the  potteries,  by  houses  which  devote  themselves 
specially  tc  this  kind  of  work.  But  there  is  also  a  kind  having 


68 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

a  gold  luster,  as  it  is  called,  which  is  done  at  the  manufactories. 
It  is  best  to  do  it  on  a  body  specially  prepared  of  4  parts  clay, 
4  parts  flint,  4  parts  kaolin,  and  G  parts  feldspar.  This  should  be 
covered  with  a  glaze,  of  60  parts  litharge,  36  parts  feldspar,  and 
15  flint. 

PREPARATION  OF  GOLD  LUSTER. 

Dissolve  first  in  the  cold,  and  then  with  heat,  48  grains  of  fine 
gold  in  288  grains  of  an  aqua  regia,  composed  of  1  ounce  of  nitric 
acid  and  3  ounces  of  muriatic  acid  ;  add  to  that  solution  4£  grains 
of  grain  tin,  bit  by  bit ;  and  then  pour  some  of  that  compound 
solution  into  20  grains  of  balsam  of  sulphur  diluted  with  10 
grains  of  oil  of  turpentine.  The  balsam  of  sulphur  is  prepared 
by  heating  a  pint  of  linseed  oil,  and  2  ounces  of  flour  of  sulphur, 
stirring  them  continually  till  the  mixture  begins  to  boil ;  it  is  then 
cooled,  by  setting  the  vessel  in  cold  water  ;  after  which  it  is 
stirred  afresh,  and  strained  through  linen.  The  above  ingre¬ 
dients,  after  being  well  mixed,  are  to  be  allowed  to  settle  for  a 
few  minutes  ;  then  the  remainder  of  the  solution  of  gold  is  to  be 
poured  in,  and  the  whole  is  to  be  triturated  till  the  mass  has  as¬ 
sumed  such  a  consistence  that  the  pestle  will  stand  upright  in  it 
lastly,  there  must  be  added  to  the  mixture  30  grains  of  oil  of  tur¬ 
pentine,  which  being  ground  in,  the  gold  luster  is  ready  to  be 
applied.  If  the  luster  is  too  light  or  pale,  more  gold  must  be 
added,  and  if  it  have  not  a  sufficiently  violet  or  purple  tint,  more 
tin  must  be  used. 

ANOTHER  GOLD  LUSTER. 

Dissolve  a  gold  dollar  in  aqua  regia  with  a  gentle  heat.  To  the 
solution  when  cool,  add  2  grains  of  grain  tin,  which  will  imme¬ 
diately  dissolve.  Prepare  a  mixture  of  half  an  ounce  of  balsam 
of  sulphur  with  a  little  essence  of  turpentine,  beating  them 
together  till  they  assume  the  appearance  of  milk.  Pour  this 
mixture  into  the  solution  of  gold  and  tin,  drop  by  drop,  with  con¬ 
tinual  stirring  ;  and  place  the  whole  in  a  wrarm  s  tuation  for  some 
time. 

It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  apply  this  luster  only  upon  an 
enamel  or  glaze  which  has  already  passed  through  the  fire,  other¬ 
wise  the  sulphur  would  tarnish  the  composition. 

Balsam  of  sulphur  is  made  by  adding  two  ounces  powdered 
brimstone  to  a  pint  of  heated  linseed  oil,  stirring  until  thor- 
oughly  melted  and  straining  through  a  piece  of  muslin. 

These  lusters  are  applied  with  most  advantage  upon  chocolate 
and  other  dark  grounds.  Much  skill  is  required  in  their  firing, 
and  a  perfect  acquaintance  with  the  quality  of  the  glaze  on  which 
they  are  applied. 


69 


THU  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

For  other  methods  it  is  necessary  first  to  prepare  a  Flux. 
Brown  gold  is  gold  with  a  copper  alloy  of  about  £  ;  in  green  gold 
the  alloy  is  silver  in  the  proportion  of  6  silver  to  20  gold. 

GOLD  FLUX. 

Borax,  11  parts  ;  litharge,  5$  ;  oxide  of  silver,  1.  Grind  very 
fine.  Melt  in  a  crucible.  Pulverize  and  regrind  for  use. 

BURNI8H  GOLD  (BROWN)- 

Brown  oxide  of  gold,  12  parts  ;  mercury,  8 ;  oxide  of  silver,  2  ; 
white  lead,  1.  Grind  very  fine  in  an  earthenware  mortar,  and 
mix  with  spirits  of  turpentine  for  use.  The  parts  combine  very 
easily.  The  white  lead  is  the  flux  in  this  case. 

BURNISH  GOLD  (GREEN  GOLD). 

Green  gold,  12  parts  ;  mercury,  7$  ;  oxide  of  silver,  1$ ;  flux  (as 
above)  1£.  First  put  the  gold  alone  in  an  earthenware  mortar ; 
place  over  the  fire  ;  heat  to  a  red  heat ;  pour  in  now  mercury  to 
the  extent  of  4  times  the  weight  of  the  whole  mixture.  Stir  with 
an  iron  rod  until  perfectly  mixed,  and  then  pour  the  whole  into 
a  vessel  of  water.  When  it  can  be  handled,  pour  off  the  water  ; 
collect  amalgam  into  a  piece  of  muslin  ;  squeeze  out  the  surplus 
mercury  (saving  this  for  future  operations) ;  throw  this  amalgam 
into  nitrous  acid  to  dissolve  out  the  mercury.  Wash  the  gold  in 
clear  water  several  times,  and  finally  mix  with  fresh  mercury, 
the  silver  and  the  flux  as  above.  Grind  very  fine  and  mix  with 
spirits  of  turpentine  for  use. 

CHEAP  OR  BRONZE  GOLD. 

Burnish  gold  (see  above),  125  parts  ;  oxide  of  copper,  4  ;  mer¬ 
cury,  2  ;  Flux,  1.  Dissolve  the  copper  in  aqua  fortis;  precipitate 
it  (put  an  iron  rod  into  the  solution) ;  gather  and  wash  the  pre¬ 
cipitate,  and  then  mix  with  the  other  ingredients,  and  finally 
with  spirits  of  turpentine.  It  may  be  be  made  brighter  or  darker  by 
varying  the  proportions  of  gold  or  copper.  Gold  gives  the 
brightness. 

GILDING  CHINA  BY  BATTERY. 

The  ingenious  process  recently  introduced  in  France  for  elec¬ 
trotyping  on  a  non-conducting  material,  such  as  china,  &c.,  is 
likely  to  prove  of  peculiar  value,  both  for  practical  and  artistic 
purposes,  but  is  evidently  one  requiring  much  care  in  order  to 
insure  a  fair  degree  of  success.  It  appears  that  sulphur  is  dis¬ 
solved  in  the  oil  of  sf  ike  to  form  a  sirupy  consistence  ;  and 


70 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL 


then  chloride  of  gold  or  chloride  of  platinum  is  dissolved  in  sul¬ 
phuric  ether,  and  the  two  solutions  are  in  this  state  mingled  under 
a  gentle  heat.  The  compound  is  next  evaporated  until  of  the 
thickness  of  ordinary  paint,  in  which  condition  it  is  applied  with 
a  brush  to  such  portions  of  the  china,  glass,  or  other  fabrics,  as 
are  desired  to  be  covered,  according  to  the  design  or  pattern,  with 
the  electro-metalic  deposit.  The  objects  are  baked  in  the  usual 
'  way  before  they  are  immersed  in  the  bath. 

FRENCH  SIZE  OB  CLEAR  COLE. 

A  good  method  of  making  size,  practiced  in  France,  is  to 
cut  up  rabbit  skins  (free  of  hair)  into  fine  shreds  and  boil  them 
in  a  water  bath  as  glue  is  boiled.  Apart  of  the  skin  will  remain 
undissolved.  The  fluid  is,  therefore  strained,  and  the  clear  part 
is  kept  for  use.  A  hot  solution  of  white  vitriol  (salt  of  zinc) and 
alum  is  next  prepared — an  ounce  of  vitriol  to  a  quarter  of  an 
ounce  of  alum  for  every  quart  of  water.  Of  this  a  half  pint 
is  added  to  a  quart  of  the  thin  clear  rabbit  skin  glue.  It  is  left  to 
to  thicken — then  cut  up  to  dry.  This  glue  when  thoroughly 
dry  is  used  in  the  proportions  of  one-half  a  pouud  to  a  gallon  of 
water.  It  makes  a  strong  thick  size. 

EARLY  ILLUMINATED  WORK. 

The  gilding  employed  by  the  old  illuminators  was  of  two  kinds, 
flat,  and  raised  or  embossed.  The  former  was  used  for  laying  a 
large  smooth  surface  for  painting  upon,  and  in  many  cases  even 
for  scrolls  and  ornaments,  but  chiefly  for  shading  and  putting  in 
the  highest  light  on  such  colors  as  reds,  browns,  and  yellows. 
The  raised  gilding  was  principally  used  for  nimbi,  or  glories 
round  the  heads  of  saints,  for  lines,  background  letters,  and  small 
ornaments  and  leaves. 

GILDING  WITH  WATER  GOLD  8IZK. 

Dip  a  camel  hair  pencil  in  the  gold  size,  the  sane  way  as  liquid 
water-colors  are  used,  and  apply  it  to  every  part  of  the  illumi¬ 
nation  which  is  to  be  gilt.  Where  the  gold  is  intended  to  be 
raised,  lay  on  as  many  coats  as  will  raise  the  work  sufficiently; 
but  take  care  to  do  it  all  as  smoothly  as  possible,  so  that  no  ridges 
may  appear,  for  they  give  the  gold  a  streaky  appearance  whicn 
must  be  avoided.  Let  it  stand  quite  half-and-hour  to  harden 
well  Previous  to  putting  the  gold  leaf  on,  breathe  upon  the 
size  to  render  it  sufficiently  adhesive,  and  apply  the  gold  leaf  im¬ 
mediately.  The  success  of  burnishing  results  from  practice,  and 
is  influenced  by  the  heat  of  the  room  ;  try  gently  with  the  bur- 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAI* 


71 


Iher,  and  if  it  glides  about  easily,  it  is  ready.  Indenting  a  pat- 
n  on  gold  is  best  done  by  the  point  of  an  ivory  tracer,  or  by  a 
rk  darning  needle.  The  indented  lines  may  be  drawn  with 
worn  point  of  a  penknife. 

IMITATION  GILDING. 

There  are  two  methods  of  imitating  gilding.  One  for  tempor' 

-  purposes — such  as  theatrical  scenery  etc.,  etc.,  is  by  the  use* 
Dutch  metal,  or  Dutch  gold,  which  is  simply  brass  or  copper 
L  The  gilding  is  effected  with  Japanner’s  gold-size,  as  abeady 
icribed  for  real  gold.  Dutch  metal  soon  turns  green  on  expos 
;  unless  varnished,  and  even  then  it  discolors  easily. 

The  other  method  is  to  use  a  siiver  or  even  tiu-foii,  which  is 

I  cheaper,  and  cover  with  a  varnish  of  good  yellow  tint — 
e  the  ormolu.  A  good  imitation  is  also  obtained  by  varnishing 
:  ordinary  tin-plate,  after  polishing  it  somewhat  with  pumice- 
ne  and  water.  Any  varnish  with  a  decidedly  yellow  tinge 

II  answer.  None  of  these  methods,  however,  are  durable.  A 
st  coat  of  thin  shelllac- varnish  ensures  a  better  adhesion  of  any 
isequent  coat  of  varnish;  but  this  also  will  peel  under  the  al* 
□ate  expansion  and  contraction  of  the  metal  below. 

GILDING  FOR  PRINTERS. 

Hat  tips  and  other  sized  muslin  work  are  done  as  described  in 
etion  on  Book  Gilding.  But  work  on  paper — generally  glazed 
-S  first  printed  with  gold-size  instead  of  ink  and  the  gold-leaf 
<1  on  as  in  any  ordinary  gilding  with  leaf.  The  leaf  is  patted 
wn  and  the  superfluous  gold  brushed  away.  In  lithographic 
nting  the  gilding  process  is  precisely  the  same.  Dutch  metal 
much  used  in  label  work.  The  size  in  this  case  should  be 
ong,  and  used  as  abundantly  as  it  can  be — as  metal  is  apt  to 
me  off  and  make  the  work  look  shabby.  In  bronzing,  the 
wder  is  rubbed  lightly  over  the  impression  printed  in  size  with 
Diece  of  raw  cotton  well  filled  wflth  the  powder.  The  finer  the 
onze  the  more  economical  the  work.  Gold  in  powder  is  some- 
nes  used. 

SILKS,  SATINS,  WOOLENS,  EVOKY,  BONE,  &C., 

May  be  readily  gilded  by  immersing  them  in  a  solution  of  neu- 
il  tercldoride  of  gold  (1  of  the  salt,  and  to  fl  of  water),  and  then 
posing  them  to  the  action  of  hydrogen  gas.  The  latter  part  of 
2  process  may  readily  be  performed  by  pouring  some  dilute 
tyhuric  acid  on  zinc  or  iron  flings,  in  a  wide-mouthed  bottle^ 


72 


TI1E  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


and  placing  it  under  a  jar  or  similar  vessel,  inverted,  at  the  top 
of  which  the  articles  to  be  gilded  are  suspended.  Flowers  or 
other  ornamental  designs  may  be  produced  by  painting  them  on 
the  surface  with  a  camel-hair  pencil  dipped  in  the  solution.  The 
design,  after  a  few  minutes’  exposure  to  the  hydrogen,  shineg 
with  all  the  splendor  of  the  purest  gold,  and  will  not  tarnish  on 
exposure  to  tho  air,  or  in  washing. 


SILVERING. 


WHITENING  WITH  8ILVEB  IN  A  POT. 

This  operation  is  still  employed  for  whitening  small  wares  foi 
which  durability  is  of  secondary  importance,  and  which  simplj 
require  the  whiteness  of  silver  ;  such  are  hooks  and  eyes,  01 
buttons.  This  whitening  is  made  as  follows  : — 

1.  Dissolve  a  certain  quantity  of  pure  granulated  silver  in 
iouble  its  weight  of  pure  nitric  acid.  The  solution  is  largely 
iiluted  with  water,  and  the  metal  is  precipitated  in  heavy  white 
clods  by  common  salt  or  hydrochloric  acid.  All  the  nitrate  ol 
silver  has  be  n  decomposed  when  a  further  addition  of  hydro¬ 
chloric  acid  or  common  salt  to  the  clear  supernatant  liquid  does 
not  produce  any  turbidness.  The  clear  liquors  are  then  thrown 
away,  and  the  chloride  of  silver  obtained  is  washed  several  times, 
to  deprive  it  of  all  free  acid.  If  this  precipitate  is  to  be  kept 
some  time  before  use,  it  should  be  removed  from  the  sunlight, 
which  blackens  it  rapidly.  The  chloride  of  silver,  with  a  little 
water,  is  thoroughly  mixed  with  at  least  80  times  its  weight  of 
finely  powdered  bitartrate  of  potash,  and  kept  in  a  stoneware 
pot. 

2.  Pure  silver  for  making  the  chloride,  1  part ;  powdered  cream 
tartar,  salt,  83  parts  of  each  ;  a  few  spoonfuls  of  the  paste 
thrown  in,  and  dissolved  in  boiling  water  contained  in  a  pure 
copper  kettle. 

The  articles  are  dipped  into  this  bath  by  a  hook,  or  in  a  basket 
of  wire  gauze,  such  as  indicated  in  receipt  for  gilding  by  dipping. 
Ur  have  another  basin  of  copper,  shallow  and  perforated  with 
Holes,  which  rests  against  the  upper  sides  of  the  kettle.  By 
means  of  handles,  this  basin  can  be  removed  at  once  with  its  con- 


THE  GTLDER’8  MANUAL. 


73 


tents.  Stir  the  articles  with  ft  wooden  spatula ;  nnd  fit  each 
operation  add  a  quantity  of  paste  proportioned  to  the  surfaces  to 
he  whitened.  These  baths  do  not  work  well  when  freshly  made, 
but  improve  as  they  arc  more  used.  They  acquire  a  dark  green 
tint,  due  to  the  copper  which  is  dissolved,  and  which  takes  the 
place  of  the  deposited  silver.  Varnishing,  coloring,  and  cleansing 
may  be  done  in  aquafortis  ;  but  these  cleansing  methods  are  in¬ 
ferior  to  those  employed  for  gilding  ;  in  general,  use  the  worn- 
out  acids  of  gilders.  Brighten  the  articles  by  friction  with  saw¬ 
dust.  The  smallest  particle  of  iron,  zinc,  or  tin  introdui  ed  into 
the  whitening  bath  imparts  a  red  color  to  the  brass  or  copper 
articles  in  the  liquor.  The  iron  is  separated  by  a  magnet ;  the 
zinc  is  dissolved  in  pickles  of  hydrochloric  or  sulphuric  acid, 
which,  when  cold,  do  not  sensibly  corrode  the  copper  articles ; 
tin  or  lead  must  be  picked  out  by  hand.  If  the  operation  has 
not  succeeded,  the  articles  are  plunged  for  a  few  seconds  into  a 
boiling  solution  of  water,  gallons  ;  nitrate  of  silver,  3|  oz. ; 
ordinary  cyanide  of  potassium,  21  oz.  This  bath  retains  its 
strength  for  a  long  time,  and  increases  the  brightness  and  white¬ 
ness  of  the  deposit.  The  process  of  silvering  by  dipping  has 
nearly  superseded  this  method. 

PLATED  SILVER 

Is  obtained  by  rolling  together  a  plate  of  copper  of  the  first 
quality,  and  one  of  silver  ;  these  are  cither  welded,  or  simply 
united  by  placing  their  hot  and  clean  surfaces  together,  wetted 
with  a  concentrated  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver.  The  two  metals 
are  reduced  and  drawn  out  about  equally  by  the  pressure  of  rolls, 
and  long  sheets  or  bands  of  silvered  metal  are  thus  obtained,  with 
which  a  great  many  articles  may  be  manufactured.  By  this 
mode  of  operation,  a  great  quantity  of  material  is  lost,  as  the 
objects  have  to  be  cut  out  from  a  sheet  entirely  silvered,  and  the 
waste  retains  a  large  proportion  of  that  metal ;  the  cut  sections 
picsent  parts  without  silver,  which  must  be  hidden  by  ledges,  or 
by  silvering  by  another  method.  There  is  also  the  absolute  ne¬ 
cessity  of  employing  pure  copper,  which  is  more  costly,  less 
sonorous,  and  not  so  tough  as  its  alloys  ;  but  the  greatest  defect 
of  the  process  is  the  difference  of  thickness  of  the  silver,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  shape  of  the  object.  Raised  surfaces  are  the  most  ex¬ 
posed  to  friction,  and  it  is  just  there  that  the  coat  of  silver  is  the 
thinnest ;  the  conditions  are  reversed  with  electro-silvering,  and 
the  parts  in  relief  receive  a  more  abundant  deposit  of  silver, 
which  is  a  satisfactory  result.  The  best  plated  silver  is  manu¬ 
factured  by  applying  upon  an  ingot  of  pure  copper  weighing  9 


74 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL 


parts,  another  Ingot  of  pure  silver  weighing  1  part,  to  coat  one 
side  only;  add  another  part  of  silver,  if  it  is  intended  to  coat  both 
sides.  The  two  are  rolled  together  until  the  desired  thickness  is 
obtained. 

The  silver  of  the  plated  metal  will  be  bright  if  the  rollers  are 
well  polished,  and  dull  with  rough  rollers.  The  only  solder  which 
docs  not  injure  plated  silver  is  tin  solder  ;  and  when  the  objects 
manufactured  are  required  to  resist  a  warm  temperature,  nuts 
and  screws  are  employed.  The  electro-plating  of  old  wares  made 
from  copper  with  a  covering  of  silver,  is  often  ditncult.  Sup¬ 
posing  it  is  required  to  electro  plate  an  old  cruet-stand,  the 
bottom  is  separated  from  the  wire,  either  by  unsoldering  or  un¬ 
screwing.  Smooth  by  emery  cloth,  or  pumice-stone  and  water, 
or  by  powdered  bath-brick  brushed  over  with  a  hard  brush. 
Spots  of  verdigris  are  removed  with  a  few  drops  of  hydrochloric 
acid.  The  great  difficulty  consists  in  giving  a  good  electro-deposit 
upon  the  edges  or  mounts  where  there  may  be  some  lead  or  lead 
solder  ;  apply  to  such  parts,  with  a  rather  soft  brush,  a  solution 
made  by  dissolving  4  oz.  of  mercury  in  nitric  acid,  and  adding 
about  half  a  pint  of  cold  wTater.  This  solution  is  lightly  brushed 
over  the  lead  mounts  only  ;  the  article  and  brush  are  then  to  be 
well  rinsed,  and  the  brush  and  plain  water  applied  ui  the  same 
way. 

The  solution  of  mercury  will  turn  the  edges  black,  or  dark 
gray,  but  the  subsequent  brushing  will  render  them  bright  again 
The  frame  when  well  rinsed  is  ready  for  the  depositing  bath. 
If,  on  its  first  immersion,  any  black  spots  appear,  the  frame  maybe 
removed,  again  brushed  over,  and  finally  returned  to  the  bath.  If 
the  edges  do  not  receive  the  coating  of  silver  as  readily  as  the  other 
parts,  the  solution  may  require  a  little  more  cyanide,  or  a  greater 
battery  power,  or  an  increase  in  the  surface  of  the  anode.  These 
lead  edges  may  be  prepared  for  receiving  the  silver  deposit  by  a 
previous  coat  of  copper  applied  as  follows  : — The  edges  are 
plunged  into  a  solution  of  sulphate  of  copper,  with  a  lii tie  free 
sulphuric  acid  in  it ;  then,  by  touching  the  lead  edge  with  an  iron 
wire,  it  is  immediately  coated  with  a  bright  deposit  of  copper, 
which  is  rinsed  and  becomes  a  good  conductor  for  the  further 
electro-deposit  of  silver.  The  coating  of  tin  underneath  the  bot¬ 
tom  of  cruet  frames  is  very  difficult  to  plate,  unless  in  a  solution 
made  expressly  for  it  ;  therefore  it  is  preferable  to  remove  it 
either  with  abrading  materials,  or  with  nitric  acid  employed  with 
care.  This  process  of  depositing  copper  will  be  found  useful  not 
only  for  old  plated  ware,  but  also  for  many  articles  on  which  are 
found  unruly  spots  of  tin  solder. 


THE  GILDERS  MANUAL. 


75 


SILVERING  WITH  8ILVER  FOIL 

This  method  is  never  practiced  except  upon  objects  already 
manufactured,  in  their  definite  shape  ;  and  is  adapted  to  all 
kinds  of  copper,  bronze,  or  brass.  It  is,  in  certain  respects, 
superior  to  plated  silver  ;  but  is  very  difficult  of  execution,  and 
has  less  adhesion  to  the  metal  underneath.  After  annealing  the 
articles,  they  are  thrown  whilst  hot  into  a  bath  of  sulphuric  acid 
with  a  small  proportion  of  hydrochloric  and  nitric  acids.  They 
have  then  a  dull  and  dead  luster,  owing  to  a  multitude  of  small 
holes,  which  are  so  many  points  of  attachment  for  the  silver  foil. 
The  objects,  thus  prepared,  are  tightly  fixed  upon  an  iron  rod, 
which  is  held  in  a  vice.  Their  temperature  is  raised  to  about 
800°  F.,  by  means  of  incandescent  charcoal  put  at  the  proper 
place,  so  as  to  open  the  pores  of  the  metal,  which,  by  cooling 
afterward,  will  imprison  the  silver  applied.  The  silver  foils, 
taken  from  the  book  with  small  tweezers,  are  cut  to  the  proper 
size  upon  a  cushion  with  an  ivory  or  steel  knife.  After  each  foil 
is  deposited  upon  the  object,  it  is  made  to  adhere  by  a  light  pres* 
sure  of  a  rag  pad,  and  afterward  by  the  friction  of  a  steel  burn 
ishing  tool.  The  parts  of  the  silver  foil  which  do  not  adhere  art 
removed  with  a  soft  brush.  Gold-beaters  prepare  silver  foil  either 
with  bright  or  dead  luster.  The  latter  is  made  to  adhere  only  by 
the  pressure  of  the  pad,  and  not  by  the  burnishing  tool  This 
dead  luster  cannot  compare  in  fineness  with  that  obtained  by  the 
battery  ;  however,  it  resists  handling  and  the  sulphur  gases  of 
the  atmosphere  better.  Articles  thus  silvered  are  only  burnished 
after  all  the  silver  foils  have  been  applied  ;  round  or  cylindrical 
objects  are  burnished  upon  the  lathe,  other  forms  by  the  hand  ; 
there  are  always  places  and  lines  showing  the  vibrations  of  the 
burnishing  tool.  This  method  of  silvering  is  only  employed  for 
very  large  objects,  such  as  high  chandeliers  and  other  church 
ornaments.  Spoons  and  forks  may  be  covered  with  silver  foil, 
as  follows  : — First,  slightly  silver  with  a  dead  luster  in  a  silver 
bath  by  dipping ;  heat,  and  then  cover  with  silver  foil,  forcing 
the  silver  foils  into  the  pores  of  the  metal  underneath,  by  the 
pressure  of  an  iron  scratch-brush  striking  vertically.  Burnish  by 
the  usual  method  ;  it  is  impossible  to  obtain  a  dead  luster  by 
this  method. 

COLD  SILVERING  BY  RUBBING, 

with  the  thumb,  or  cork,  or  a  brush.  The  results  are  better  than 
those  by  the  whitening  process,  but  not  very  durable  ;  the  method  . 
is  useful  to  repair  slight  defects  upon  more  durable  silverings, 
and  to  produce  mixtures  of  gold  and  silver,  or  gold,  upon  slightly 


% 

\ 


76 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


gilt  objects,  thus  avoiding  the  use  of  resist  varnishes.  Make  a 
paste  by  thoroughly  grinding  in  a  porcelain  mortar  or  with  a 
muller,  and,  as  far  as  practicable,  not  in  the  light ; — 1.  Water, 
to  5  oz.  ;  white  fused  nitrate  of  silver,  or,  preferably, 
the  chloride,  7  oz.  ;  binoxalate  of  potash,  10|  oz.  ;  bitartrate  of 
potash,  10i  oz.  ;  common  salt,  15  oz.  ;  sal  ammoniac,  2f  oz.  2. 
Chloride  of  silver,  Si  oz.  ;  bitrartrate  of  potash,  7  oz.  ;  common 
salt,  10  £  oz. 

When  finely  pulverized  in  a  porcelain  mortar,  triturate 
it  under  a  muller  upon  a  plate  of  ground  glass  until  there  is 
no  granular  feeling.  Keep  the  paste  in  a  porcelain  pot,  or  in  a 
black  glass  vessel,  to  preserve  it  from  the  light,  which  decomposes 
it  rapidly.  When  about  to  use  it,  add  a  little  water  so  as  to  form 
a  thin  paste,  which  is  applied  with  a  brush  or  pencil  upon  the 
cleansed  articles  of  copper,  or  upon  those  gilt  by  dipping,  or  even 
upon  those  gilt  by  the  battery,  provided  that  the  coating  is  thin 
enough  to  allow  the  copper  to  decompose  the  silver  paste  through 
the  coat  of  gold  ;  allow  the  paste  to  dry  naturally,  or  with  the 
aid  of  a  gentle  heat.  The  chemical  reaction  is  more  or  less  com- 
plele,  according  to  the  thickness  of  the  gold  deposit,  and  the  dry 
paste  is  of  a  pink  shade,  or  entirely  green.  The  salts  are  removed 
by  a  thorough  rinsing  in  cold  water,  and  the  silver  appears  with 
a  fine  frosted  appearance,  the  brightness  of  which  may  be  in¬ 
creased  by  a  few  seconds’  immersion  in  a  very  diluted  solution  of 
sulphuric  acid,  or  of  cyanide  of  potassium.  This  silvering  bears  i 
the  action  of  the  wire  brush  and  of  the  burnishing  tool  very  well 
and  it  may  also  be  oxidized.  Should  a  first  silvering  not  be  found 
sufficiently  durable,  after  scratch-brushing,  apply  a  second  or  a 
third  coat.  This  silvering  is  not  so  adhering  or  white  on  pure 
copper,  as  upon  a  gilt  surface.  For  the  reflectors  of  lanterns  the 
paste  is  rubbed  upon  the  reflector  with  a  fine  linen  pad  ;  then 
with  another  rag,  a  thin  paste  of  Spanish  white,  or  similar  sub¬ 
stance,  is  spread  over  the  reflector  and  allowed  to  dry.  Rubbing 
with  a  fine  and  clean  linen  rag  will  restore  the  luster  and  white¬ 
ness  of  the  plated  silver. 

FOR  FLATED  SILVER  REFLECTORS. 

A  bath  made  of  water,  If  pint  ;  nitrate  of  chloride  of  silver, 

2  oz.  ;  cyanide  of  potassium,  10£  oz.  Add  sufficient  Spanish 
white,  or  levigated  chalk,  in  fine  powder,  to  produce  a  thin  paste, 
which  is  kept  in  a  well  closed  pot.  This  paste  is  spread  by  a 
brush  or  a  pad  of  old  linen,  all  over  the  surface  of  the  reflector, 
and  allowed  almost  to  dry,  when  it  is  briskly  rubbed  over  by  an¬ 
other  clean  dry  rag  of  old  linen. 


77 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

SILVERING  BY  DIPPING  IN  A  WARM  BATH. 

For  small  articles  a  bath  is  made  by  dissolving  in  an  enameled 
cast-iron  kettle  in  2  galls,  of  water  17^  oz.  of  ordinary  cyanide 
of  potassium.  Also  dissolve  5J  oz.  of  fused  nitrate  of  silver  in 
pint  of  water  contained  in  a  glass  or  porcelain  vessel. 

The  second  solution  is  gradually  poured  into  the  first  one 
Stir  with  a  glass  rod.  The  white  or  grayish-white  precipitate 
produced  soon  dissolves,  and  the  remaining  liquor  is  filtered 
if  a  perfectly  clear  bath  is  desired.  When  brought  to  the  boiling- 
point  it  will  immediately  silver  the  cleansed  copper  articles 
plunged  in  it.  The  objects  must  be  quickly  withdrawn.  Tlie 
silvering  should  immediately  follow  the  cleansing,  although  the 
rinsings  after  each  operation  should  be  thorough  and  complete. 
This  bright  and  light  silvering  is  adapted  for  set  jewelery,  which 
cannot  be  scratch-brushed  without  flattening  the  clasps,  and  to 
which  a  bright  luster  is  absolutely  necessary  as  a  substitute  for 
Ihefoilof  burnished  silver  placed  under  the  precious  stones  or 
real  jewelery.  The  employment  of  the  solution  of  nitrate  of 
binoxide  of  mercury  is  useless,  and  even  injurious  for  this  bath. 
It  is  useless  to  keep  up  the  strength  of  the  solution  by  new  ad¬ 
ditions  of  cyanide  and  silver  salt ;  thus  reinvigorated,  it  gives  re¬ 
sults  far  inferior  to  those  of  the  former  solution.  The  bath 
should,  therefore,  be  worked  out  as  long  as  the  silvering  is  satis¬ 
factory,  and  when  exhausted  put  away  with  the  waste.  With 
this  process  a  battery  and  a  soluble  anode  may  be  used  to  obtain 
a  more  durable  deposit ;  but  the  operation  is  no  longer  a  simple 
dipping,  and  properly  belongs  to  electro-silvering  by  heat.  A 
solution,  which,  when  boiling,  produces  a  very  fine  silver  coat, 
with  a  dead,  or  partly  dead,  luster,  upon  cleansed  coppers,  is 
made  by  dissolving  with  the  aid  of  heat,  in  a  well-scoured  cop¬ 
per  kettle,  distilled  water,  9  pints ;  ferrocyanide  of  potassium, 
21  oz.;  carbonate  of  potash,  1-4  oz.  When  the  liquid  boils  add 
the  well-washed  chloride  obtained  from  1  oz.  of  pure  silver 
This  should  boil  for  about  half  an  hour,  and  be  filtered  before 
using  ;  part  of  the  silver  deposits  upon  the  copper  kettle,  and 
should  be  removed  when  a  new  bath  is  prepared.  On  account  of 
this  inconvenience  the  process  has  been  nearly  abandoned,  al¬ 
though  the  products  are  remarkably  fine.  All  the  dipping  silver¬ 
ing  baths,  which  contain  a  comparatively  great  excess  of  cyanide 
of  potassium  to  the  proportion  of  the  silver  salt,  will  silver  welt 
copper  articles  perfectly  cleansed,  even  in  the  cold  ;  whereas 
this  property  diminishes  in  proportion  to  the  increase  of  the 
amount  of  silver  in  the  bath,  or  with  the  decrease  of  the  amount 
of  cyanide. 


78 


THE  GILDER’8  MANUAL. 

SADDLERY  AND  CARRIAGE  WARES. 

For  small  articles,  partly  copper  and  partly  iron,  such  as  those 
used  for  saddlery  and  carriage  wares,  a  particular  process  of  sil¬ 
vering  is  used.  The  bath  is  composed  of  : — Water,  9  pints  ; 
caustic  potash,  6  oz.  ;  bicarbonate  of  potash,  3£  oz.  ;  cyanide  of 
potassium,  2  oz.  ;  fused  nitrate  of  silver,  $  oz.  The  cyanide, 
caustic  potash,  and  bicarbonate  are  dissolved  in  7  pints  of  water 
in  an  enameled  cast-iron  kettle,  then  the  remaining  quart  of 
water,  iu  which  the  nitrate  of  silver  has  been  separately  dissolved, 
is  added  to  the  former  solution.  For  the  silvering  operation  a 
certain  quantity  of  articles  is  cleansed,  thoroughly  rinsed,  and 
put  into  a  small  enameled  kettle.  Enough  of  the  silver  bath  is 
poured  in  to  cover  the  articles  entirely,  and  the  whole  is  brought 
to  a  boil  for  a  few  seconds,  and  stirred  with  a  wooden  spatula. 

When  the  silvering  appears  satisfactory,  the  liquor  employed 
is  put  with  the  saved  waste  ;  the  same  liquid  is  never  used  for 
two  batches  of  articles.  This  process  gives  a  somewhat  durable 
silvering  with  a  dead  luster,  of  a  grayish  white,  which  is  increased 
in  whiteness  and  brightness  by  soap  and  burnishing. 

SILVERING  BY  DIPPING  IN  A  COLD  BATH. 

As  the  bath  is  cold  it  is  always  ready  for  use,  and  the  deposit 
is  finer  and  more  unalterable,  because  only  chemically  pure  silver  is 
deposited,  without  any  mixture  of  subsalts.  The  bath  is  formed 
of  bisulphite  of  soda,  to  which  is  added  nitrate  of  silver,  until  it 
begins  to  be  dissolved  with  difficulty.  It  is  therefore  with  a 
double  sulphite  of  soda  and  silver  that  the  cold  silvering  by  dip¬ 
ping  is  effected.  Bisulphites  of  potash,  ammonia  and  other 
alkalies  may  be  substituted  for  the  bisulphite  of  soda,  but  the 
latter  is  to  be  preferred,  because  its  preparation  is  cheaper,  more 
easy,  and  better  known. 

PREPARATION  OF  BISULPHITE  OF  SODA  FOR  COLD  SILVERING. 

Put  into  a  tall  vessel  of  glass  or  porcelain,  water,  10  pints ; 
crystalized  carbonate  of  soda,  10  lbs.  Pour  a  little  mercury  into 
the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  so  that  the  glass  tube  carrying  sulphur¬ 
ous  acid  gas,  which  has  to  be  placed  into  it,  may  not  be  stopped 
by  the  crystals  formed  during  the  operation.  Arrange  an  appa¬ 
ratus  for  the  production  of  sulphurous  acid  gas,  and  let  the  washed 
gas  pass  through  the  vessel  holding  the  carbonate  of  soda.  Part 
of  the  soda  is  transformed  into  sulphite  of  soda,  which  dissolves, 
and  a  part  falls  to  the  bottom  as  bicarbonate.  The  latter  is,  how¬ 
ever,  transformed  into  sulphite  of  soda  by  a  continuous  produc¬ 
tion  of  sulphurous  acid,  and  the  carbonate  acid  escapes.  When 
all  has  dissolved,  continue  the  passage  of  sulphurous  acid  until 


THE  GILDER^  MANUAL. 


79 


the  liquid  slightly  reddens  blue  litmus  papv,  and  then  put  the 
whole  aside  for  24  hours.  After  that  time  some  crystals  are  found 
upon  the  mercury,  and  the  liquid  above,  more  or  less  colored,  is 
the  bisulphite  of  soda  for  silvering.  The  crystals  are  separated 
from  the  mercury,  drained,  and  kept  for  gilding  baths.  They 
are  not  suitable  for  silvering. 

The  liquid  bisulphite  of  soda  thus  prepared,  should  be  stirred 
with  a  glass  rod,  to  throw  off  the  carbonic  acid  w'hich  may  still 
remain.  The  liquor  should  then  be  again  tried  with  blue  litmus 
paper.  If  it  turns  a  deep  red,  add  a  little  carbonate  of  soda  for 
neutralizing  the  excess  of  sulphurous  acid  ;  if  red  litmus  paper 
becomes  blue,  there  is  too  much  alkali,  and  more  sulphurous  acid 
gas  should  be  passed  through  the  liquid,  which  is  in  the  best  con¬ 
dition  when  litmus  paper  becomes  violet  or  slightly  red.  This 
solution  marks  from  23°  to  26°  Baume,  and  must  not  come  in 
contact  with  iron,  zinc,  tin,  or  lead. 

COLD  SILVERING  BATH  FOR  DIPPING. 

A  stoneware  or  glass  vessel  is  about  three  parts  filled  with  \*ho 
liquid  bisulphite  of  soda,  a  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver  in  dis¬ 
tilled  water,  of  medium  concentration,  is  gradually  added  while 
the  bath  is  continually  stirred  with  a  glass  rod  ;  a  white  floccu- 
lent  precipitate  of  sulphite  of  silver  is  produced  by  stirring  ;  this 
is  dissolved  by  the  bisulphite  of  soda.  The  silver  solution  is 
added  so  long  as  the  precipitate  readily  disappears,  and  stopped 
when  it  becomes  slow  to  dissolve.  This  bath  is  always  ready  to 
work,  and  instantaneously  produces  a  magnificent  silvering  upon 
copper,  bronze,  or  brass  articles  which  have  been  thoroughly 
cleansed,  and  passed  through  a  weak  solution  of  nitrate  of  bin- 
oxide  of  mercury,  although  this  last  operation  is  not  absolutely 
necessary.  According  to  the  length  of  time  of  the  immersion 
the  bath  will  give,  a  very  fine  whitening  by  silver  is  as  cheap  as 
any  of  the  other  described  processes  ;  a  bright  silvering,  espe¬ 
cially  adapted  for  setting  jewelry  ;  or  a  silvering  with  a  dead 
luster,  still  more  durable,  without  electricity,  and  in  the  cold. 
The  loss  of  silver  is  made  good  by  additions  of  nitrate  of  silver. 
When  the  proportion  of  bisulphite  is  not  sufficient  to  dissolve  the 
metallic  salt,  add  some  bisulphite  of  soda  to  restore  the  bath  to 
its  primitive  state.  Silver  is  slowly  deposited  upon  the  sides  of 
the  vessel  ;  this  may  be  dissolved  in  nitric  acid  for  future  uses. 

SOLUTION  OF  SILVER  OR  GOLD  FOR  8ILVERING  OR  GILDING  WITH¬ 
OUT  THE  AID  OF  A  BATTERY. 

1  oz.  of  nitrate  of  silver  is  dissolved  in  one  quart  of  rain  or 
distilled  water,  and  a  few  crystals  of  hyposulphite  of  soda  added, 


80 


TTTE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


which  form  a  brown  precipitate  soluble  in  a  slight  excess 
of  hyposulphite.  Small  articles  of  steel,  brass,  or  German 
silver  may  be  silvered  by  dipping  a  sponge  in  the  solu¬ 
tion  and  rubbing  it  over  the  surface  of  the  article  to  be  coated. 
A  solution  of  chloride  of  gold  may  be  treated  in  the  same  manner, 
and  applied  as  described.  A  more  concentrated  solution  of  either 
gold  or  silver  may  be  used  for  coating  parts  of  articles  which 
have  stripped  or  blistered,  by  applying  it  with  a  camel-hair  pencil 
to  the  part,  and  touching  the  spot  at  the  same  time  with  a  thin 
clean  strip  of  zinc. 

SILVER  ELECTRO-PLATING. 

BATH  FOR  SILVER  ELECTROPLATING. 

Water,  2£  galls.  ;  cyanide  of  potassium,  pure,  17£  oz.  ;  pure 
silver  for  cyanide,  8£  oz.  The  composition  of  commercial 
cyanide  of  potassium  is  exceedingly  irregular.  The  pure,  or  No. 
1,  contains  from  90  to  100  per  cent,  of  real  cyanide,  and  is  espe¬ 
cially  employed  for  gilding  and  silveriug  baths.  No.  2  contains 
from  00  to  70  per  cent,  of  real  cyanide  ;  it  is  the  article  prepared 
by  Liebig’s  method,  and  is  used  for  electro-baths  of  copper  and 
brass.  No.  3,  which  marks  from  55°  to  00°,  is  for  scouring  and 
preparing  baths. 

1.  Put  in  a  porcelain  dish,  holding  a  quart,  pure  granulated 
silver,  8f  oz.  ;  pure  nitric  acid  at  40°  Baume,  17£  oz.  Heat  by 
charcoal  or  gas.  The  dish  should  be  supported  by  an  iron  tri¬ 
angle,  and  not  in  direct  contact  with  the  fire.  The  acid  rapidly 
attacks  and  dissolves  the  silver  with  an  abundant  production  of 
yellow  nitrous  vapors,  which  must  not  be  inhaled.  When  the 
vapors  have  disappeared,  there  remains  a  liquid  more  or  less 
colorless,  according  to  the  proportion  of  copper  held  by  the  com¬ 
mercial  silver,  which  is  seldom  entirely  pure.  The  heat  is  then 
increased  in  order  to  evaporate  ihe  excess  of  acid,  which  escapes 
in  white  fumes.  The  material  in  the  dish  swells  up  and  dries, 
and,  with  a  further  increase  of  heat,  melts  like  wax.  The  dish  is 
then  removed  from  the  fire,  and  being  held  with  a  cloth,  the 
molten  mass  is  made  to  flow  upon  the  sides,  where  it  soon  solidi¬ 
fies  ;  the  fused  nitrate  of  silver,  (lunar  caustic,)  is  more  or  less 
white  or  gray,  according  to  the  purity  of  the  silver  employed. 
When  perfectly  cooled,  turn  the  dish  upside  down,  and  by  a 
gentle  tap  on  the  sides,  the  mass  is  detached. 

2.  Dissolve  the  nitrate  of  silver  in  ten  or  fifteen  times  its  weight 
of  distilled  water  ;  hydrocyanic  acid  poured  into  this  solution  im¬ 
mediately  produces  an  abundant  white  precipitate  of  cyanide  of 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


81 


silver.  A  sufficient  quantity  of  prussic  acid  has  been  employed 
when,  by  adding  a  few  drops  of  it  to  the  clear  liquid,  no  precipi¬ 
tate  or  turbidity  appears.  Throw  the  liquid  upon  a  filter  of 
muslin  stretched  on  a  wooden  frame,  the  cyanide  of  silver  remains 
on  the  cloth,  the  solution  with  the  nitric  acid  and  excess  of  prus¬ 
sic  acid  passes  through.  Wash  the  precipitate  left  upon  the  filter 
two  or  three  times  with  pure  water. 

3.  This  cyanide  of  silver  is  put  into  the  vessel  intended  for  the 
bath  and  stirred  with  the  galls,  of  water.  The  cyanide  of 
potassium  is  then  added,  dissolves  it,  and  also  dissolves  the  cy¬ 
anide  of  silver,  thus  giving  a  solution  of  a  double  cyanide  of 
potassium  and  silver. 

Those  who  employ  small  baths,  often  renovated,  may  substi¬ 
tute  for  the  cyanide  of  silver  the  chloride,  or  the  nitrate  of  this 
metal.  In  the  latter  case,  the  quantity  of  cyanide  of  potassium 
should  be  increased.  Such  baths  will  be  prepared  as  follows  : — 

1.  The  nitrate  or  silver  is  prepared  in  the  manner  indicated  above, 
and  5^  oz.  of  it,  nearly  equal  to  oz.  of  pure  silver,  are  dis¬ 
solved  in  2£  galls,  of  water. 

2.  The  cyanide  of  potassium  No.  1,  about  8|  oz.,  is  then  added. 
Stir  to  facilitate  the  solution,  filter  the  liquor,  to  separate  the  iron 
contained  in  the  cyanide.  This  operation  may  in  some  cases  be 
dispensed  with,  because  the  iron  rapidly  falls  to  the  bottom  of 
the  bath,  and  the  solution  becomes  limpid. 

The  proportion  of  cyanide  of  potassium  employed  is  more  than 
is  required  for  dissolving  the  silver,  as  1|  parts  of  good  cyanide 
is  sufficient  for  one  part  of  silver  ;  but  unless  there  is  an  excess 
of  cyanide  of  potassium,  the  liquors  do  not  conduct  electricity 
well,  and  the  deposit  of  silver  is  granulated  and  irregular.  The 
silvering  is  effected  with  a  battery,  and  with  baths  either  warm 
or  cold.  The  latter  method  is  generally  adopted  for  articles  which 
require  great  solidity.  The  hot  process  is  used  for  small  articles, 
and  is  preferable  for  steel,  iron,  zinc,  lead,  and  tin  which  have 
been  previously  electro-coppered. 

The  hot  baths  are  generally  kept  in  enameled  cast  iron  kettles, 
and  the  articles  are  either  suspended,  or  moved  constantly  about 
in  them.  The  preliminary  cleansing  in  acids,  and  passing  through 
the  mercurial  solution,  are  necessary.  A  somewhat  energetic 
current  is  needed,  especially  when  the  articles  are  moved  about, 
in  order  to  operate  rapidly.  There  is  too  much  electricity  when 
the  articles  connected  with  the  negative  pole  of  the  battery 
become  gray  or  black,  and  produce  many  bubbles  of  gas. 

A  platinum,  large  wire  or  thin  foil  anode,  is  generally  preferred 
to  the  soluble  anode  of  silver  employed  in  cold  baths,  but  the  so¬ 
lution  is  rapidly  impoverished.  In  hot  silvering  baths,  th$ 


82  the  gilder’s  manual. 

separate  battery  is  often  replaced  by  a  zinc  wire  wrapped  around 
the  articles. 

The  points  of  contract  of  the  two  metals  are  black  or  gray,  but 
the  stain  disappears  by  plunging  the  object  into  the  liquor  for  a 
few  moments,  after  it  has  been  separated  from  the  zinc,  and  care¬ 
fully  3cratch-bruslicd. 

Instead  of  separate  batteries,  a  simple  apparatus  may  be  made 
of  a  glass,  porcelain  or  stone-ware  vessel  holding  the  bath,  and 
in  the  centre  of  which  is  a  porous  jar  filled  with  a  solution  of  10 
per  cent,  of  cyanide  of  potassium  or  common  salt.  The  cylinder 
of  zinc,  immersed  in  this  porous  jar,  carries  a  larger  circle  of 
brass  wire,  the  cross  diameters  of  which  are  soldered  to  the  zinc. 
This  brass  ring  projects  over  the  bath,  and  the  articles,  suspended 
to  the  ring  by  slinging  wires,  hang  down  into  the  bath.  At  the 
beginning,  the  operation  goes  on  rapidly,  and  the  deposit  is  good  ; 
but,  after  a  time,  the  solution  of  zinc  traverses  the  porous  cell 
and  impairs  the  purity  of  the  bath. 

An  impoverished  hot  bath  is  reinvigorated  by  additions  of 
squal  parts  of  cyanide  of  potassium  and  silver  salt.  It  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  replace  the  water  in  proportion  as  it  is  evaporated.  When 
the  silver  baths  rapidly  deposit  metal  without  the  aid  of  electri¬ 
city',  it  is  a  proof  that  they  are  too  rich  in  cyanide,  or  too  poor  in 
silver.  A  deposit  affected  under  such  conditions  is  rarely  adher¬ 
ing,  especially  when  upon  articles  previously  coppered,  because 
the  excess  of  cyanide  dissolves  the  deposited  copper,  and  the  sil¬ 
ver  which  takes  its  place  may  be  removed  with  the  finger.  The 
remedy  consists  in  adding  to  the  bath  only  enough  silver  salt  and 
no  more,  so  that  a  piece  of  copper  will  not  become  sensibly  sil¬ 
vered  in  it,  without  the  aid  of  electricity. 

The  cold  electro-silvering  baths  generally  employed  for  electro¬ 
plating  such  articles  as  table-spoons  or  forks  are  contained  in  large 
rectangular  wooden  troughs  lined  with  gutta-percha,  or  made  of 
riveted  wrought  iron.  They  are  sufficiently  high  to  allow  about 
4  inches  of  liquid  above  the  immersed  object,  whose  distance 
from  the  bottom  and  sides  should  be  nearly  the  same,  to  give  a 
regular  deposit  of  metal  at  both  extremities  of  the  object.  The 
upper  ledge  of  the  trough  carries  two  brass  rods  all  round,  which 
do  not  touch  one  another,  one  above  the  other,  so  that  other 
metallic  rods,  being  put  across,  will  rest  upon  the  higher  or  the 
lower  rod,  but  not  both  at  the  same  time.  Each  rod  is  connected 
with  one  of  the  poles  of  the  battery  by  conducting  wires,  the 
points  of  contact  of  which  should  be  perfec  ly  clean.  The  rod 
which  supports  the  articles  to  be  silvered  is  connected  with  the 
negative  pole  represented  by  zinc  in  most  batteries ;  and  the 
other,  supporting  the  anodes,  is  attached  to  the  positive  pole. 


TIIE  QILDEIt’S  manual. 


83 


which  is  carbon  with  Bunsen’s  elements,  copper  for  Daniell’s,  and 
platinum  with  Grove’s  cells. 

A  certain  number  of  spoons  and  forks  fixed  to  a  rod,  by  means 
of  copper  wires,  are  cleansed  at  the  same  time, and  the  rod  is  placed 
upon  the  negative  conducting  rod  of  the  trough.  Then,  facing 
these  articles  hang  upon  the  positive  conducting  wire  of  the  trough 
another  metallic  rod  to  which  the  soluble  silver  anode  is  attached 
like  a  flag.  Next  comes  another  series  of  spoons  and  forks,  faced 
by  another  soluble  anode,  in  such  a  manner  that  each  row  of 
spoons  and  forks  is  between  two  anodes.  The  articles  to  be  sil¬ 
vered  all  rest  upon  the  negative  conducting  rod,  and  the  soluble 
anodes  upon  the  positive  one.  This  disposition  is  for  obtaining 
an  equal  deposit  upon  all  the  pieces. 

The  objects  require  turning  upside  down  during  the  operation, 
in  order  to  prevent  a  thicker  deposit  on  the  lower  parts,  as  the 
richest  part  of  the  solution  is  the  densest,  and  therefore  lies  near 
the  bottom  of  the  trough.  The  denser  layers,  being  richer  in 
metal,  deposit  it  more  abundantly  upon  the  direction  which  they 
follow,  and  form  grooves  which  cannot  be  filled  by  the  lighter 
and  poorer  currents.  It  is,  therefore,  advantageous  to  keep  the 
objects  in  constant  motion.  In  this  case  the  frame  supporting 
the  articles  does  not  rest  upon  the  trough,  but  is  suspended  above 
the  bath,  and  receives  its  motion  from  a  small  eccentric,  or  other 
motive  power.  The  silver  deposit  will  adhere  strongly,  if  the 
articles  have  been  fully  amalgamated  in  the  solution  of  nitrate 
of  binoxide  of  mercury,  and  have  remained  in  the  silver  bath 
from  12  to  15  hours,  according  to  the  intensity  of  the  current. 
The  silvering  will  be  the  better  and  finer  as  the  intensity  of  the 
current  is  weaker,  up  to  a  certain  limit.  A  sufficient  quantity  of 
silver  may  be  deposited  in  3  or  4  hours,  but  the  result  is  not  satis¬ 
factory,  and  the  burnishing  is  very  difficult. 

When  the  articles  have  acquired  a  film  of  silver,  they  are 
sometimes  removed  from  the  bath  and  thoroughly  scratch-brush¬ 
ed,  cleansed  in  alcohol,  or,  preferably,  in  a  hot  silvering  bath, 
thence  again  passed  through  the  mercurial  solution,  and  finished 
in  the  former  cold  electro  bath.  This  first  scratch-brushing, 
which  is  not  always  necessary,  obviates  the  tendency  of  certain 
alloys  to  assume  a  crystalline  appearance,  and  corrects  imperfec¬ 
tions  of  the  cleansing  process. 

Electro-silvering  baths  do  not  generally  work  so  well  when 
freshly  prepared,  as  when  they  have  been  used  for  a  certain  time  ; 
the  deposit  is  often  granulated,  bluish,  or  yellowish.  It  is,  there¬ 
fore,  desirable  to  mix  a  portion  of  old  liquors  with  those  recently 
prepared,  or  new  baths  may  acquire  an  artificial  age  by  boiling  a 
few  hours,  or  adding  one  or  two  thousandths  of  aqua  ammonia. 


84 


THE  GILDER'S  MANUAL. 


f 


TO  ELECTROPLATE  OVER  BOLDER. 

Cleanse  from  grease  with  caustic  potash.  Dip  quickly  In  red 
nitrous  acid,  in  order  to  remove  oxide,  and  then  wash  away  with 
water  all  traces  of  acid.  Make  a  solution  of  mercury  in  cyanide 
of  potassium  ;  into  this  dip  the  joint  for  a  short  time  ;  then  wash 
in  water  as  before.  The  silver  may  be  then  easily  deposited  upon 
the  amalgamated  surface. 

TO  PREVENT  ELECTRO-SILVER  PLATING  TURNING  YELLOW  BY 

CONTACT  WITH  THE  AIR. 

This  change  of  color  is  due  to  the  deposit,  by  galvanic  action, 
of  pure  silver  and  of  a  subsalt,  the  subcyanide  of  silver,  which  is 
rapidly  decomposed  and  darkened  by  light.  It  is  therefore  neces 
sary  to  remove  the  subcyanide  by  one  of  the  following  methods: 

1.  The  articles  are  left  immersed  in  the  bath  for  sometime  after 
the  electric  current  has  been  interrupted,  when  the  subcyanide  of 
silver  is  dissolved  by  the  cyanide  of  potassium. 

2.  Having  smeared  the  objects  with  a  paste  of  borax,  they 
are  heated  in  a  muffle  until  the  salt  fuses  and  dissolves  the  sub- 
cyanide.  This  process  anneals  and  softens  the  metal. 

3.  The  poles  of  the  battery  are  inverted  for  a  few  seconds,  that 
3  to  say,  the  articles  become  soluble  anodes,  and  the  electric 
current  carries  away  the  subcyanide  of  silver  in  preference  to  the 
metal ;  this  operation  should  be  very  short,  otherwise  the  silver 
will  entirely  abandon  the  objects  and  will  coat  the  silver  sheets. 

SILVER-PLATING  BRITANNIA  METAL,  PEWTER,  AND  ALL  COMBI¬ 
NATIONS  OF  LEAD  AND  TIN. 

These  are  best  placed  in  a  solution  containing  a  good  deal  of 
free  cyanide,  and  the  deposit  should  be  rapid  at  first.  The  sur¬ 
face  of  the  anode  should  be  about  three  times  that  required  for 
German  silver  and  the  battery  power  strong,  but  not  too  intense. 
It  is  better  not  to  disturb  these  articles  in  the  solution  at  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  deposit.  Afterward  they  may  be  shifted  for  ob¬ 
taining  a  uniform  coat.  If  the  articles,  when  they  have  been  a 
short  time  in  the  plating  bath,  present  an  unequal  surface,  re¬ 
move  them,  and  brush  over  again  as  before ;  then,  after  well 
rinsing,  return  quickly  to  the  bath  and  allow  them,  if  possible,  to 
remain  without  further  disturbance. 

SMALL  SILVER  BATH  FOR  AMATEURS. 

The  bath  is  a  cylindrical  stoneware,  glass,  or  porcelain  vessel. 
After  cleansing  and  amalgamation,  the  articles  are  attached  by 

Clean  copper  wires  to  the  circumference  of  a  brass  ring,  supported 


THE  GILDEE’s  MANUAL. 


85 


npon  the  top  of  the  apparatus  by  three  or  four  soldered  cross¬ 
wires.  The  ring  is  connected  with  the  negative  pole  of  the 
battery,  and  the  positive  pole  with  a  platinum  anode,  or  a  cylinder 
formed  of  a  sheet  of  silver  rolled  round,  which  dips  into  the  mid¬ 
dle  of  the  apparatus.  The  articles  must  be  now  and  then  turned 
upside  down,  and  sideways,  so  that  each  face  of  the  object  will 
be,  in  turn,  directly  opposite  the  silver  anode,  and  thus  also  the 
points  of  contact  with  the  suspending  wires  receive  their  quota 
of  metallic  deposit.  Points,  edges,  corners,  and  all  raised  parts, 
offer  a  more  easy  passage  to  the  electric  current,  and  therefore 
become  more  coated  with  metal.  As  the  wear  of  tablespoons  and 
forks  is  greater  on  their  convex  sides,  those  parts  should  face  the 
silver  anode  longer  than  the  concave  portions. 

BRIGHT  LUSTER. 

Bisulphide  of  carbon,  in  small  proportion,  imparts  a  bright 
luster  to  electroplated  articles.  Put  an  ounce  of  bisulphide  of 
carbon  into  a  pint  bottle  containing  a  strong  silver  solution  with 
cyanide  in  excess.  The  bottle  should  be  repeatedly  shaken,  and 
the  mixture  is  ready  for  use  in  a  few  days.  A  few  drops  of  this 
solution  may  be  poured  into  the  plating  bath  occasionally,  until 
the  work  appears  sufficiently  bright.  The  bisulphide  solution, 
however,  must  be  added  with  care,  for  an  excess  is  apt  to  spoil 
the  solution.  In  plating  surfaces  which  cannot  easily  be  scratch- 
brushed,  this  brightening  process  is  very  serviceable.  Care  must 
betaken  never  to  add  too  much  at  a  time. 

DEPOSITS  ON  SOLDER. 

The  difficulty  of  obtaining  regular  deposits  of  gold  or  silver  over 
articles  which  have  parts  soldered  may  be  greatly  obviated  by 
scratch-brushing  those  parts  dry,  that  is,  without  the  usual  liquid 
employed.  This  renders  these  refractory  parts  better  conduct¬ 
ing,  provided  that  during  the  operation  no  impurities  are  left  on 
these  spots. 

METHOD  BY  WHICH  THE  WEIGHT  OP  DEPOSITED  SILVER  IS  DIRECTLY 

ASCERTAINED. 

1.  The  articles  are  cleansed  by  the  processes  already  described, 
then  dried  saw-dust  or  otherwise,  and  weighed  in  a  scale.  How¬ 
ever  rapidly  this  may  be  done  the  surface  of  the  copper  will  be 
slightly  oxidized  and  tarnished  ;  to  recover  their  former  cleanli¬ 
ness  the  articles  must  be  plunged  into  a  strong  piokel  of  sulphuric 
acid,  and  then  into  the  mercurial  solution.  After  rinsing,  and 
immersion  in  the  bath,  practical  experience  will  teach  when  it  is 
nearly  time  to  withdraw  the  articles  from  the  solution.  They 


86 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


will  have  to  be  wighed  several  times  before  the  intended  weight 
of  silver  has  been  deposited. 

2.  Cieanse  the  articles,  and  put  them  immediately  into  the 
bath,  except  one,  which  is  treated  as  above,  and  used  as  a  test. 
This  piece  is  now  and  then  removed  from  the  bath  to  ascertain 
its  increase  of  weight,  and  when  it  has  acquired  its  proportion  of 
silver  it  is  supposed  the  other  pieces  are  also  finished.  Strongly 
amalgamated  articles  will  not  become  sensibly  oxidized  during 
the  drying  which  precedes  tlieir  weighing.  When  the  objects 
have  been  dried  in  order  to  ascertain  the  proportion  of  deposited 
silver,  they  should  not  be  returned  to  the  bath  without  having 
been  cleaned  in  a  hot  solution  of  cyanide  of  potassium,  which 
dissolves  the  grease  from  handling,  and  passed  again  through  the 
solution  of  nitrate  of  binoxide  of  mercury,  and  rinsed.  Alcohol 
may  be  substituted  for  the  hot  solution  of  cyanide,  but  the  results 
are  not  so  sure,  and  the  expense  is  greater.  Both  these  methods 
are  tedious,  and  only  give  approximate  results. 

3.  Remove  one  dish  of  an  ordinary  pair  of  scales  substitute  for 
it  a  metallic  frame  which  supports  the  articles  to  be  silvered,  and 
communicates  through  the  beam  and  the  column  with  the  negative 
electrode  of  a  battery  ;  connect  the  soluble  anode  with  the  positive 
pole.  When  the  articles  are  suspended  to  the  frame,  and  are  in 
the  bath,  the  equilibrium  of  the  scale  is  established  by  weights 
upon  the  other  dish  ;  add  to  this  a  weight  equal  to  the  silver  it  is 
desired  to  deposit.  The  operation  will  be  finished  when  the 
equilibrium  of  the  beam  is  re-established.  This  method  is  not 
mathematically  accurate,  but  is  sufficiently  exact  for  all  practical 
purposes.  An  automatic  arrangement,  by  which  the  electric 
current  may  be  broken  at  the  time  the  articles  in  the  bath  have 
received  a  sufficient  deposit  of  silver,  is  easily  arranged,  and 
saves  time  and  metal. 


anodes. 

Should  the  anodes  become  black  during  the  passage  of  the 
electric  current,  the  solution  contains  too  little  cyanide  of  potas¬ 
sium  and  too  much  silver.  In  this  case  the  deposit  is  adherent, 
but  too  slow,  and  the  bath  loses  more  silver  than  it  can  gain  from 
the  anodes.  Carefully  add  sufficient  cyanide  of  potassium.  If 
the  anodes  remain  white  during  the  current,  the  proportion  of 
cyanide  of  potassium  is  too  great,  the  deposited  silver  is  often 
without  adherence,  and  the  anodes  lose  more  metal  than  is  de¬ 
posited  ;  add  silver  salt  until  it  dissolves  with  difficulty.  When 
in  good  working  order  the  soluble  anodes  become  grey  duringthe 
passage  of  the  electricity,  and  white  when  the  circuit  is  broken. 
The  specific  gravity  of  the  bath  may  vary  from  5°  to  15°  of  the 
Baume  hydrometer  for  salts,  and  still  furnish  good  results. 


SI 


THE  GILDER’S  MAHUAL. 

There  is  a  simple  and  rapid  process  for  ascertaining  the  state 
of  the  bath,  and  establishing  the  proper  ratio  between  the  silver 
and  the  cyanide.  About  half  a  pint  of  the  liquor  is  put  into  a 
tall  glass,  and  a  solution  of  one-third  of  an  ounce  of  nitrate  of 
silver  in  3  oz.  of  distilled  water  is  poured  into  the  former,  drop 
by  drop.  If  the  white  precipitate  produced  is  rapidly  dissolved 
by  stirring,  the  liquor  is  too  rich  in  cyanide,  or  too  poor  in  sil¬ 
ver  ;  should  the  precipitate  remain  undissolved  after  long  stir¬ 
ring,  the  liquor  is  too  rich  in  silver  or  too  poor  in  cyanide  of  potas¬ 
sium.  When  the  precipitate  is  dissolved  but  slowly,  the  liquor 
is  in  the  best  condition. 


BURNISHING. 

By  burnishing,  the  roughness  of  an  object  is  flattened  down 
until  the  surface  is  smooth  and  polished,  like  a  looking-glass 
Burnishing  is  an  important  operation  for  electro-deposits  which 
consist  of  a  multitude  of  small  crystals  with  intervals  between 
them,  and  with  facets  reflecting  the  light  in  every  direction. 
The  deposited  metal  is  hardened,  and  forced  into  the  pores  of 
the  underlaying  metal,  and  the  durability  is  thus  increased  to  such 
an  extent,  that  with  the  same  amount  of  silver  a  burnished  article 
will  last  twice  as  long  as  one  which  has  not  been  so  treated.  The 
instruments  employed  for  burnishing  are  made  of  different  mate¬ 
rials,  and  must  be  of  great  hardness  and  a  perfect  polish.  Such 
are  hardened  cast  steel,  agate,  flint,  and  blood-stone. 

For  metallic  electro  deposits  steel  and  blood-stones  are  espe¬ 
cially  employed.  There  are  several  qualities  of  blood-stone  ;  its 
grain  should  be  close,  hard  and  without  seams  or  veins  ;  it  should 
leave  no  white  lines  on  the  burnished  parts,  nor  take  off  any  metal, 
and  its  color  should  be  of  an  intense  black-red.  The  steel  must 
be  fine  and  close  grained, and  perfectly  polished.  Should  the  polish 
of  any  burnishing  tool  alter  by  use,  it  is  restored  by  friction  upon 
a  skin  or  leather  attached  to  a  wooden  block,  which  is  fixed  to 
the  bench.  The  leather  is  covered  with  polishing  rouge  in  im¬ 
palpable  powder,  or,  preferably,  with  pure  alumina  obtained  by 
calcining  ammonia  alum  in  a  forge  fire.  Venetian  tripoli,  rotten- 
stone,  tin  putty,  emery,  or  many  other  hard  substances  finely 
powdered  may  be  employed. 

The  burnishing  tools  are  of  various  shapes,  such  as  a  lance,  a 
tooth,  a  knife,  a  half-sphere,  or  a  dog’s  tongue,  and  a  considerable 
stock  is  necessary.  The  burnishing  is  divided  into  two  distinct 
operations  ;  the  first  consists  in  roughing,  and  the  second  in  finish¬ 
ing.  The  tools  for  the  first  have  a  sharp  edge,  whilst  for  the 
second  operation  they  have  a  rounded  surface.  The  tools  for  the 
hand  or  the  lathe  are  fixed  by  copper  ferules  into  the  short  round 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


8B 

wooden  handles,  so  that  the  hand  is  not  influenced  by  thels 
weight ;  the  tools  for  the  arm  or  the  vice  are  fastened  to  wooden 
handles  sufficiently  long  to  rest  their  slender  part  upon  the  arm 
or  the  shoulder,  the  stouter  lower  portion  is  grasped  by  the  hand. 

The  burnishing  tools  and  the  objects  must  be  frequently  wetted 
by  certain  solutions,  some  of  which  facilitate  the  sliding  of  the 
instrument,  or  with  others  which  have  a  chemical  action  upon 
the  shade  of  the  burnished  articles.  Of  the  first  are  pure  water, 
solutions  of  soap,  decotions  of  linseed,  and  infusions  of  the  roots 
of  marsh-mallow  or  liquorice  ;  the  second  includes  wine-lees, 
cream  tartar,  vinegar,  alum  in  water.  When  burnishing  gold 
applied  upon  electro-deposits  of  copper,  as  in  gilding  with  a  dead 
luster  by  that  method,  use  pure  water  for  fear  of  producing  a 
disagreeable  red  shade.  A  solution  of  new  soap  is  sometimes 
preferred  by  operators,  although  when  old  it  imparts  an  unpleas- 
int  tinge,  owing  to  the  sulphides  of  the  liquor.  When  the  burn¬ 
ishing  is  completed,  the  surface  is  wiped  longitudinally  with  a 
soft  and  old  muslin  rag. 

The  polish  obtained  by  burnishing  is  called  black,  -when  it 
reflects  the  rays  like  a  mirror  ;  and  should  the  presence  of  mer 
eury  or  a  bad  deposit  prevent  the  tool  from  producing  a  brigh 
surface,  the  object  is  said  to  be  greasy.  Articles  which  have  been 
previously  polished,  and  which  generally  receive  a  very  trifling 
deposit,  are  not  burnished,  but  rubbed  with  chamois  leather  and 
the  best  quality  polishing-rouge.  Too  thick  or  too  rapid  electro¬ 
deposits  cannot  be  burnished,  but  must  be  polished  by  rubbing 
with  a  leather  and  a  mixture  of  oil  and  powdered  pumice-stone, 
tripoli,  or  tin  putty.  Coarse  powders  are  used  at  the  beginning, 
and  impalpable  ones  at  the  end  of  the  operation.  Polished  silver 
deposits  are  more  agreeable  to  the  eye  than  burnished  ones  ;  but 
the  hardening  of  the  latter  renders  them  more  durable. 

TO  DISSOLVE  SILVER  FROM  SILVERED  ARTICLES — COLD  BATH. 

For  dissolving  silver  in  the  cold  the  objects  are  hung  in  a  large 
vessel  filled  with  the  following  mixture  : — Sulphuric  acid  at  00° 
Baume,  10  parts  ;  nitric  acid  at  40°  Baume,  1,  in  which  they  re¬ 
main  for  a  greater  or  less  length  of  time,  according  to  the  thick¬ 
ness  of  the  coat  of  silver  to  be  dissolved.  This  liquid,  when  it 
does  not  contain  water,  dissolves  the  silver  without  sensibly  cor¬ 
roding  copper  and  its  alloys ;  therefore  avoid  introducing  wet 
articles  into  it,  and  keep  the  liquid  perfectly  covered  when  not  iu 
use.  As  far  as  practicable  place  the  articles  in  the  liquid  so  as 
not  to  touch  each  other,  and  in  a  vertical  position,  so  that  the 
silver  salt  will  fall  to  the  bottom.  In  prooortion  as  the  action  ol 
the  liquor  diminishes,  pour  in  small  and  gradual  additions  u i 


f 


A  M 


89 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

nitric  acid  Dissolving  silver  in  the  cold  is  regular  and  certain, 
but  slow,  especially  when  the  proportion  of  silver  is  great.  The 
other  more  rapid  process  is  then  resorted  to. 

HOT  BATH. 

Nearly  fill  a  flat  pan  of  enameled  cast  iron  with  concentrated 
sulphuric  acid,  and  heat  to  a  temperature  of  300°  to  400°  Fahr. ; 
at  the  moment  of  using  it,  pinches  of  dry  powdered  saltpeter  are 
thrown  into  it ;  then  hold  the  article  with  copper  tongs  in  the 
liquid.  The  silver  rapidly  dissolves,  and  the  copper  or  its  alloys 
are  not  sensibly  corroded.  According  to  the  rapidity  of  the  so¬ 
lution  more  or  fewer  pinches  of  saltpeter  are  added.  All  the 
silver  has  been  dissolved  when,  after  rinsing  in  water  and  dipping 
the  articles  in  the  cleansing  acids,  they  present  no  brown  or 
black  spots,  that  is,  when  they  appear  like  new  metals.  These 
two  methods  are  not  suitable  for  removing  the  silver  from 
wrought  and  cast  iron,  zinc,  or  lead  ;  it  is  preferable  to  invert  the 
electric  current  in  a  cyanide  bath,  or  to  use  mechanical  processes. 
Old  desilvering  liquors  become  green  after  use  ;  to  recover  the 
silver  they  are  diluted  with  four  or  five  times  their  volume  of 
water,  then  add  hydrochloric  acid  or  common  salt.  The  precipi 
tation  is  complete  when  the  settled  liquor  does  not  become  tur 
bid  by  a  new  addition  of  common  salt  or  hydrochloric  acid 
The  resulting  chloride  of  silver  is  separated  from  the  liquid 
either  by  decantation  or  filtration,  and  is  afterwards  reduced  to 
the  metallic  state  by  one  of  the  methods  which  will  be  described. 

RESISTS  AND  RESERVES. 

By  reserves,  certain  parts  of  a  metallic  article,  which  may  be 
already  covered  with  an  electro-deposit  on  its  whole  surface,  are 
coated  with  another  metal.  To  gild  the  parts  in  relief  of  an  ob¬ 
ject  of  which  the  body  is  silvered,  make  a  gold  reserve,  and  use 
a  silver  reserve  for  silvering  of  certain  parts  of  a  body  already 
gilt.  This  requires  a  little  practice  and  care,  and  a  firm  hand  to 
make  thin  lines  with  the  hair  pencil.  Thoroughly  scratch-brush 
and  wipe  the  object ;  the  parts  intended  to  have  the  primitive 
color  must  be  covered  by  a  brush  with  a  resist  varnish  ;  dry  in 
the  air,  or  in  a  stove,  or  upon  a  gentle  fire  until  it  no  longer  feels 
sticky.  Place  in  the  bath ;  the  galvanic  deposit  will  only  coat 
those  parts  unprotected  by  the  varnish.  The  temperature  of  the 
bath  should  be  low,  and  the  current  weak,  for  fear  of  having 
rough  lines  where  the  deposit  touches  the  varnish,  from  the  latter 
becoming  softened,  or  from  bubbles  which  are  disengaged  at  the 
negative  pole  under  the  action  of  a  strong  electric  current. 

When  the  deposit  is  completed,  remove  the  resist  varnish  with 


90  THE  GILDEli’s  MANtJAU 

warm  spirits  of  turpentine,  and  afterwards  with  tepid  alcohol ; 
naptha  or  benzole  are  preferable,  as  they  rapidly  dissolve  in  the 
cold  nearly  all  resinous  and  fatty  bodies,  or  the  varnish  may 
be  destroyed  by  a  brief  immersion  in  concentrated  sulphuric  acid 
when  cold.  It  often  happens  that  several  colors  and  metals  have 
to  be  placed  upon  the  same  object,  such  as  silver  with  both  bright 
and  a  dead  luster,  and  yellow,  green,  red,  white,  or  pink  golds, 
or  platinum.  Varnishes  are  also  employed  for  avoiding  the 
deposit  of  the  precious  metals  upon  those  parts  which  do  not 
need  them. 


RESI8T  OR  RESERVE  VARNISHES. 

Dissolve  in  boiled  linseed  oil  or  spirits  of  turpentine,  resin,  or 
copal ;  these  varnishes  are  not  sufficiently  colored  to  distinguish 
the  places  where  they  have  been  laid  on,  mix  with  them  therefore 
a  certain  proportion  of  red-lead,  chrome  yellow,  or  Prussian  blue, 
which  at  the  same  time  facilitates  their  drying. 

OLD  SILVERING. 

To  imitate  old  artistic  productions  made  of  solid  silver,  the 
groundwork  and  hollow  portions  not  subject  to  friction  are  cov¬ 
ered  with  a  blackish  red  earthy  coat,  the  parts  in  relief  remain 
with  a  bright  lead  luster.  Mix  a  thin  paste  of  finely-powdered 
plumbago  with  spirits  of  turpentine,  to  which  a  small  propor¬ 
tion  of  red  ochre  may  be  added  to  imitate  the  copper  tinge  of 
certain  old  silverware  ;  smear  this  all  over  the  articles.  After 
drying,  gently  rub  with  a  soft  brush,  and  the  reliefs  are  set  off 
by  cleaning  with  a  rag  dipped  in  spirits  of  wine.  Old  silver  is 
easily  removed,  and  the  brightness  of  the  metal  restored,  by  allot 
solution  of  caustic  potash,  cyanide  of  potassium,  or  benzole.  To 
give  the  old  silver  book  to  small  articles,  such  as  buttons  and 
rings,  throw  them  into  the  above  paste,  rub  in  a  bag  with  a  large 
quantity  of  common  dry  saw-dust  until  the  desired  shade  is  ob¬ 
tained. 

OXIDIZED  SILVER. 

This  is  not  an  oxidization,  but  a  combination  with  sulphur  or 
chlorine.  Sulphur,  soluble  sulphides,  and  hydros ulphuric  acid 
blacken  silver,  and  insoluble  silver  salts,  and  particularly  the 
chloride  of  silver,  rapidly  blackens  by  solar  light.  Add  four  or 
five  thousandths  of  hydrosulphate  of  ammonia,  or  of  qnintisul- 
phide  of  potassium,  to  ordinary  water  at  a  temperature  of  160 8  to 
180°  Fahr.  When  the  articles  are  dipped  into  this  solution  an 
iridescent  coating  of  silver  sulphide  covers  them,  which  after  a 
few  seconds  more  in  the  liquid  turns  blue-black.  Hemove, 


91 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

Hnse,  scratch-brush,  and  burnish  when  desired.  Use  the 
solution  when  freshly  prepared,  or  the  prolonged  heat  will 
precipitate  too  much  sulphur,  and  the  deposit  will  be  wanting  in 
adherence  ;  besides  the  oxidization  obtained  in  freshly-prepared 
liquors  is  always  brighter  and  blacker  than  that  produced  in  old 
solutions,  which  is  dull  and  gray.  If  the  coat  of  silver  is  too 
thin,  and  the  liquor  too  strong,  the  alkaline  sulphide  dissolves  the 
silver,  and  the  underlaying  metal  appears.  In  this  case  cleanse 
and  ilver  again,  and  use  a  weaker  blackening  solution. 

Oxidized  parts  and  gilding  may  be  put  upon  the  same  article 
by  the  following  methods  :  After  the  whole  surface  has  been 
gilt,  certain  portions  are  covered  with  the  resist  varnish ;  silver 
the  remainder.  Should  the  process  of  silvering  by  paste  and  cold 
rubbing  be  employed,  the  gilding  should  be  very  pale,  because  it 
is  not  preserved,  and  deeply  reddened  by  the  sulphur  liquor. 
When  this  inconvenience  occurs  from  a  too  concentrated  liquor, 
it  is  partly  remedied  by  rapidly  washing  the  article  in  a  tepid 
solution  of  cyanide  of  potassium. 

Deep  black  is  thus  obtained  upon  cleansed  copper  ; — Dissolve 
3  or  4  oz.  of  blue  ashes,  (hydrocarbonate  of  copper),  in  sufficient 
quantity  of  aqua  ammonia,  place  the  cleansed  copper  in  thissolu- 
tion,  cold  or  tepid,  it  will  be  instantaneously  covered  with  a  fine 
black  deposit.  This  coat  is  so  thin  that  burnished  articles  look 
like  varnished  black. 

NIELLED  SILVER. 

This  is  a  kind  of  inlaid  enamel  work,  and  is  obtained  by  the 
sulphuration  of  certain  parts  of  a  silver  object.  But  instead  of 
being  direct,  this  is  produced  by  inlaying  the  silver  surface  with 
a  sulphide  of  the  same  metal  prepared  beforehand.  For  prepar 
ing  the  niel,  heat  a  certain  proportion  of  sulphur  in  a  deep  cruci 
ble  ;  heat  a  certain  quantity  of  silver,  copper  and  lead  in  anothei 
crucible,  and  when  melted  pour  into  the  fused  sulphur,  which 
transforms  these  metals  into  sulphides  ;  then  add  a  little  sal  am¬ 
moniac,  remove  from  the  crucible  and  pulverize  for  use. 

First  crucible — flowers  of  sulphur,  27  oz.  ;  sal  ammoniac,  2f  oz. 

Second  crucible,  which  after  fusion  is  poured  into  the  first- 
silver,  oz.  ;  copper,  1|  oz  ;  lead  2f  oz. 

1.  After  having  reduced  the  niel  to  a  fine  powder,  mix  with 
a  small  proportion  of  a  solution  of  sal  ammoniac,  hollow  out  the 
engraving  upon  a  silver  surface,  and  cover  the  whole,  hollows 
and  reliefs,  with  the  composition.  The  article  is  then  to  be  heated 
in  a  muffle  until  the  composition  solders  to  the  metal.  Uncover 
the  pattern  by  a  level  polish,  when  the  silver  will  appear  as  over 
a  black  ground.  Tins  method  is  costly,  as  each  article  must 
engraved. 


n 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


2.  Engrave  in  relief  a  steel  plate,  and  press  it  against  the  silver 
plate  between  two  hard  bodies.  The  copy  is  hollow,  and  ready 
to  receive  the  nieL  A  great  many  copies  may  be  obtained  from 
the  same  matrix. 

SILVERING  LOOKING-GLASSES. 

The  metal  used  is  quicksilver.  The  substance  employed  to 
make  the  mercury  or  quicksilver  adhere  to  the  surface  of  the  glass 
is  tin-foil,  as  thin  as  paper,  and  which  has  a  strong  attraction  for 
mercury.  A  drop  of  mercury  combines  with  the  tin-foil,  and 
they  become  as  one  substance,  which  adheres  pretty  firmly  to  glass 
The  glass  to  be  silvered  is  made  perfectly  clean  on  both  sides, 
particularly  on  that  which  is  to  be  silvered.  If  the  slightest 
speck  of  dirt  be  allowed  to  remain  on  the  surface,  it  will  appear 
very  conspicious  when  the  glass  is  silvered.  The  tin-foil  is  gene¬ 
rally  made  in  sheets  about  0  ft.  long  and  of  various  widths,  vary¬ 
ing  from  19  in.  up  to  40,  the  diversity  of  widths  being  to  enable 
the  silverer  to  cut  out  small  pieces  suitable  to  various-sized  glasses. 
For  larger  sizes,  the  foil  is  generally  made  to  order,  and  of  a  greater 
thickness  than  for  smaller  glasses.  A  sheet  of  tin-foil  being  un¬ 
rolled,  is  laid  down  flat,  and  cut  to  the  same  shape  as  the  glass, 
but  an  inch  larger  each  way.  It  is  then  laid  down  as  smoothly  as 
possible  on  the  silvering  stone,  which  is  a  very  large  and  care¬ 
fully  prepared  slab  of  slate,  porphyiy,  or  marble,  perfectly  flat 
and  smooth. 

The  foil  is  worked  out  level  and  smooth  on  the  silvering  stone 
by  means  of  a  smooth  wooden  roller,  which  is  worked  over  it  in 
every  direction.  The  silverer  pours  some  mercury  into  a  wooden 
bowl,  and  then,  by  means  of  an  iron  ladel,  pours  the  mercury 
over  the  whole  surface  of  the  foil  till  every  part  is  covered.  The 
glass  plate  is  then  laid  upon  the  liquid  mercury ;  but  it  is  not 
laid  at  once  flat  down  on  it,  being  made  to  slide  on  the  edge  of 
the  glass  first  coming  in  contact  with  the  mercury.  As  it  is  slid 
along,  it  pushes  before  it  the  greater  part  of  the  mercury,  because 
the  edge  of  the  glass  almost  scrapes  along  the  foil  as  it  passes, 
that  al.  air-bubbles  and  impurities  may  be  pushed  off,  allowing 
only  a  thin  film  of  very  pure  mercury  to  remain  between  the 
glass  and  the  foil.  In  this  much  care  and  delicacy  are  required. 

It  is  a  matter  of  considerable  difficulty  to  clean  the  glass  so 
perfectly  as  not  to  show  any  marks  or  streaks  after  it  is  silvered. 
It  is  often  necessary  to  remove  it  from  the  foil  two  or  three  times 
after  it  has  beeu  laid  down,  to  wipe  off  specks  of  dirt  which  are 
visible  when  the  glass  is  silvered,  however  diflicult  of  detection 
they  may  previously  be  ;  this  is  especially  the  case  in  damp 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL 


93 


weather.  This  renders  it  necessary  that  the  foils  for  large  glasses, 
which  necessarily  require  a  longer  time  than  small  ones  to  per¬ 
form  'he  different  processes,  should  be  thicker  than  those  for 
smaller  ;  for  such  is  the  attraction  between  the  mercury  and  the 
foil,  that  if  a  glass  after  having  been  removed  for  further  clean¬ 
ing,  is  not  speedily  replaced  on  the  mercury,  the  latter  will  com¬ 
bine  with  the  foil,  and  give  it  a  rottenness  which  will  prevent  its 
adhesion  to  the  glass  ;  the  thicker  the  foil,  the  less  likely  is  tb it 
to  occur. 

When  the  glass  is  properly  place  1  on  the  tin-foil,  and  it  is  ascer¬ 
tained  that  all  specks  and  air-bubbles  are  removed,  it  is  covered 
almost  in  every  part  by  heavy  iron  or  leaden  weights  ;  so  that  a 
large  glass  will  have  several  hundredweight  pressing  upon  it. 
This  pressure  is  to  force  out  from  between  the  glass  and  the  foil 
is  much  mercury  as  possible,  so  that  the  thinnest  film  only  shall 
remain  between  them.  To  effect  this  more  completely,  the  silver¬ 
ing  stone  is  made  to  rest  on  a  swivel,  underneath,  by  which  it  can 
be  made  either  perfectly  horizontal,  or  thrown  into  an  inclined 
position.  While  the  glass  is  being  laid  on  the  foil,  the  silvering 
hone  is  horizontal,  to  prevent  the  mercury  from  flowing  off  ;  but 
when  the  superfluous  mercury  is  to  be  drained  off,  the  stone  is 
made  to  assume  an  inclined  position,  so  as  to  ensure  one  general 
direction  for  the  flow  of  the  mercury. 

A  hollow  groove  runs  round  the  sides  of  the  stone,  into  which 
the  mercury  flows  as  it  is  forced  out  from  between  the  glass  and 
the  foil.  A  pipe,  descending  from  one  corner  of  this  trough, 
conveys  the  mercury  into  a  bottle  placed  beneath  to  receive  it. 
Although  an  immense  weight  of  mercury  must  be  poured  on  the 
foil  for  the  silvering  of  a  large  glass,  yet  the  quantity  which  actu¬ 
ally  remains  between  the  glass  and  the  foil  is  extremely  small. 
The  glass,  with  the  weights  upon  it,  is  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
inclined  position  for  several  hours,  or,  if  the  glass  is  large,  it  is 
allowed  to  remain  until  the  next  day,  in  order  that  as  much  as 
possible  of  the  mercury  may  be  pressed  out  before  the  weights 
are  removed. 

On  the  removal  of  the  weights,  one  end  of  the  glass  is  tilted  up 
and  supported  by  the  blocks,  the  other  end  still  remaining  on  the 
stone.  A  piece  of  foil  is  then  laid  on  the  lowest  corner,  to  draw 
off  the  mercury  which  collects  in  a  little  pool  at  the  bottom  of 
the  glass.  In  this  state  the  glass  remains  from  a  few  hours  to  3  or 
4  days,  according  to  its  size.  When  as  much  of  the  mercury  as 
possible  1  as  drained  from  the  glass  in  this  way,  the  glass  is  taken 
up,  when  it  is  found  that  the  two  metals  have  combined  together, 
and  in  the  combined  state  adhere  to  the  glass,  which  neither  the 
one  nor  the  other  would  have  done  separately.  The  removal  of 


94 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


the  glass  from  the  stone  is  effected  in  three  different  ways,  accord¬ 
ing  to  its  size.  If  it  is  not  too  wide  for  the  arm-span  of  the  sil- 
verer,  he  takes  it  bv  the  two  edges,  lifts  it  from  the  stone,  and 
places  it  edgeways  on  the  shelf  or  on  the  floor  of  the  silvering 
room,  resting  its  upper  edge  against  the  wall,  and  allowing  one 
corner  to  be  lower  than  the  rest,  so  as  to  facilitate  the  draining 
toward  that  corner.  If  the  glass  is  long  and  narrow,  two  men 
take  it  up  instead  of  one,  but  in  the  same  manner.  If  however, 
the  glass  is  very  large,  the  following  mode  is  sometimes  adopted. 

The  draining  room,  and  an  opening  in  the  floor  of  the  latter  is 
so  arranged  that  a  portion  of  the  silvering  table  can  be  let  down 
through  it,  on  account  of  its  facility  of  motion  round  the  swivel. 
By  a  gradual  turning  of  the  silvering  table,  the  stone  and  the 
glass  upon  it  can  be  brought  into  a  nearly  perpendicular  position. 
In  this  position  of  the  glass,  several  men  in  the  lower  room  grasp 
it  by  the  edges,  and  place  it  against  the  wall  of  the  room,  where 
it  is  left  to  drain.  When  the  plate  is  thus  placed  against  the  wall 
of  the  room,  it  is  left  to  drain  for  a  time,  varying  from  one  day 
to  several  days,  according  to  its  size,  in  order  that  any  remaining 
superfluous  mercury  may  become  still  better  attached  to  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  glass.  When  the  draining  appears  to  be  complete,  the 
glass  is  ready  to  be  applied  to  its  intended  purpose.  The  above 
is  the  process  for  silvering  plate  glass.  But  there  is  an  important 
reason  why  common  glass,  used  for  cheaper  purposes,  such  as  the 
inferior  sort  of  dressing-glasses,  cannot  be  silvered  in  this  way  ; 
for  any  heavy  pressure  on  such  glass  breaks  it  at  once,  on  account 
of  its  thinness  and  crookedness.  These  common  glasses,  which 
are  always  small  in  size,  arc  not  silvered  on  a  stone,  but  on  a 
board  or  flat  box.  The  foil  is  cut  to  the  requisite  size,  and  laid 
on  the  board  and  covered  with  mercury,  as  in  the  former  instance. 

But  instead  of  sliding  the  glass  on  the  mercury,  a  piece  of  clean 
paper  is  laid  on  the  mercury,  and  the  glass  is  laid  on  the  paper. 
The  silverer  now,  laying  one  hand  pretty  firmly  on  the  glass, 
takes  hold  of  the  edge  of  the  paper  with  the  other,  and  by  a  quick 
motion,  draws  out  the  paper  from  between  the  glass  and  the  foil, 
and  with  it  the  greater  part  of  the  mercury,  together  with  air- 
bubbles  and  impurities, — leaving  the  glass  resting  on  a  thin  but 
brilliant  film  of  mercury ;  this  is  a  process  requiring  manual 
dexterity. 

The  common  glass  employed  for  these  purposes  is  always  irre¬ 
gularly  bent  at  its  surfaces  ;  it  is  a  general  rule  to  silver  the  con. 
cave  side,  when  one  side  is  more  concave  than  the  other.  The 
crown  glass  now  made  is  better  that  that  which  was  produced 
a  few  years  ago,  and  although  it  is  always  curved,  yet  the  curva¬ 
ture  is  pretty  nearly  the  same  in  different  tables  from  the  same 


05 


THE  QILDElt’s  MANUAL. 

crate.  This  circumstance  assists  the  silvcrer,  for  each  silvered 
glass  acts  as  a  weight  to  another  of  the  same  size.  It  is  usual  to 
silver  a  great  number  of  the  same  size  at  the  same  time  ;  and  as 
each  one  is  silvered,  it  is  placed  llat  down  on  a  shelf,  or  in  a  shal¬ 
low  box  ;  and  on  it  the  others  are  successively  laid  as  they  are 
silvered.  The  concave  side  of  each  is  silvered,  and  as  the  con¬ 
cavity  is  nearly  equal  in  all,  each  one  helps  to  press  out  the  super¬ 
fluous  mercury  from  the  one  beneath  it.  The  silvering  in  com¬ 
mon  glasses  is  seldom  found  to  be  so  perfect  as  on  plate  glass, 
from  the  impossibility  of  giving  equal  pressure  in  every  part. 

SILVERING  BY  PRECIPITATION. 

Place  a  sheet  of  glass,  previously  washed  clean  with  water,  on 
a  table,  and  rub  the  whole  surface  with  a  rubber  of  cotton,  wetted 
with  distilled  water,  and  afterward  with  a  solution  of  Rochelle 
salts  in  distilled  water,  1  of  salt  to  200  of  water.  Then  take  a 
solution,  previously  prepared  by  adding  nitrate  of  silver  to  am¬ 
monia  of  commerce ;  the  silver  being  gradually  added  until  a 
brown  precipitate  commences  to  be  produced  ;  the  solution  if 
then  filtered.  For  each  square  yard  of  glass  take  as  much  of 
the  above  solution  as  contains  20  grammes,  about  300  grains,  of 
silver,  and  to  this  add  as  much  of  a  solution  as  contains  14  gram 
mes  of  salt,  and  the  strength  of  the  latter  solution  should  be  so 
adjusted  to  that  of  the  silver  solution  that  the  total  weight  of  the 
mixture  above  mentioned  may  be  GO  grammes.  In  a  minute  or 
two  after  the  mixture  is  made  it  becomes  turbid,  and  it  is  then 
immediately  to  be  poured  over  the  surface  of  the  glass,  which 
has  previously  been  placed  on  a  perfectly  horizontal  table,  but  the 
plate  is  blocked  up  at  one  end,  to  give  it  an  inclination  about  1  in 
40  ;  the  liquid  is  then  poured  on  in  such  a  manner  as  to  distribute 
it  over  the  whole  surface  without  allowing  it  to  escape  at  the 
edges.  When  this  is  effected,  the  plate  is  placed  in  a  horizontal 
position  at  a  temperature  of  about  68°  Fahr. 

The  silver  will  begin  to  appear  in  about  2  minutes,  and  in  about 
20  or  30  minutes  sufficient  silver  "will  be  deposited.  The  mixture 
is  then  poured  off  tne  plate,  and  the  silver  it  contains  afterward 
recovered.  The  surface  is  then  washed  four  or  five  times,  and 
the  plate  set  up  to  dry.  When  dry,  the  plate  is  varnished,  by 
pouring  over  it  a  varnish  composed  of  gum  dammar,  20  parts  • 
asphalt  of  bitumen,  5  ;  gutta-percha,  5  ;  and  benzine,  85.  This 
varnish  will  set  hard  on  the  glass,  and  the  plate  is  then  ready  for 
use. 

PARTIALLY  RESILVERING  PIER  GLASS. 

Remove  the  silvering  from  the  injured  part,  dean  the  glass, 


96 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


form  a  wall  of  beeswax  round  the  spot,  pour  on  it  some  nitrate 
of  silver,  and  precipitate  the  silver  by  sugar,  or  oil  of  cloves  and 
spirits  of  wine.  This  does  not  leave  a  white  mark  round  the 
prepared  place. 

SILVERING  CURVED  GLASS. 

This  is  a  French  process,  used  not  only  for  flat  surfaces,  but 
also  for  those  which  are  curved,  or  cut  into  patterns.  Dissolve 
GOO  grains  of  neutral  nitrate  of  silver  in  1200  grains  of  distilled 
water,  add  75  drops  of  a  solution  composed  of  25  parts  of  distilled 
water,  10  of  sesquicarbonete  of  ammonia,  and  10  of  ammonia,  sp. 
gr.,  .980  ;  add  also  80  grains  of  ammonia,  samesp.  gr.,  and  1800 
grains  of  alcohol  sp.  gr.  .85.  When  clear,  the  liquor  is  decanted 
or  filtered,  and  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  alcohol  and  oil  of  cassia 
added  to  the  silver  solution  in  the  proportion  of  1  of  the  essence 
of  cassia  to  15  of  the  silver  solution  ;  the  mixture  is  agitated  and 
left  t  o  settle,  then  filtered .  Before  pouring  upon  the  glass  surface 
or  into  the  glass  vessel  to  be  silvered,  the  solution  is  mixed  with 
l-78th  of  its  bulk  of  essence  of  cloves,  (1  part  oilof  cloves,  3  parts 
a'cohol.)  The  glass  is  thoroughly  cleaned,  and  the  silver  solution 
applied  and  warmed  to  100°  Fahr.  for  about  3  hours  ;  the  liquid 
is  poured  off,  and  the  silver  deposit  washed,  dried,  and  var¬ 
nished. 

silverino  glass— drayton’s  process. 

A  mixture  is  made  of  1  oz.  of  coarsely  pulverized  nitrate  of  sil¬ 
ver,  ^  oz.  spirits  of  hartshorn,  and  2  oz.  of  water  ;  which,  after 
standing  for  24  hours,  is  filtered,  the  deposit  upon  the  filter,  wThich 
is  silver,  being  preserved,  and  an  addition  is  made  thereto  of  3  oz. 
of  spirits  of  wine,  at  G0°  above  proof,  or  naphtha  ;  from  20  to  30 
drops  of  oil  of  cassia  are  then  added  ;  and,  after  remaining  for 
about  0  hours  longer,  the  solution  is  ready  for  use.  The  glass  to 
be  silvered  with  this  solution  must  have  a  clean  and  polished  sur¬ 
face  ;  it  is  to  be  placed  in  a  horizontal  position,  and  a  w  all  of  putty 
or  other  suitable  material  formed  around  it,  so  that  the  solution 
may  cover  the  surface  of  the  glass  to  the  depth  of  from  one-eighth 
to  onc-fourth  of  an  inch. 

After  the  solution  has  been  poured  on  the  glass,  from  G  to  12 
drops  of  a  mixture  of  oil  of  cloves  and  spirits  of  wine,  in  the 
proportion  of  1  part,  by  measure,  of  oil  of  cloves  to  3  of  spirits 
of  wine,  are  dropped  into  it,  at  different  places  ;  or  the  diluted 
oil  of  cloves  may  be  mixed  vrith  the  solution  before  it  is  poured 
upon  the  glass  ;  the  more  oil  of  cloves  used,  the  more  rapid  will 
be  the  deposition  of  the  silver  ;  but  the  operation  should  occupy 
about  2  hours. 

When  the  reouired  deposit  has  been  obtained,  the  solution  hi 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


97 


poured  off  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  silver  on  the  glass  is  perfectly  dry, 
it  is  varnished  with  a  composition  formed  by  melting  together 
equal  quantities  of  beeswax  and  tallow.  The  solution,  after  being 
poured  off,  is  allowed  to  stand  for  3  or  4  days,  in  a  close  vessel, 
as  it  still  contains  silver,  and  may  be  again  employed  after  filtra¬ 
tion,  and  the  addition  of  a  sufficient  quantity  of  fresh  ingredients 
to  supply  the  place  of  those  which  have  been  used.  About  18 
grains  of  nitrate  of  silver  are  used  for  each  square  foot  of  glass  , 
but  the  quantity  of  spirit  varies  somewhat,  as  its  evaporation  de¬ 
pends  upon  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere,  and  the  duration 
of  the  process.  By  the  addition  of  a  small  quantity  of  oil  of  car- 
raway  or  thyme,  the  color  of  the  silver  may  be  varied.  The  oil 
of  cassia  of  different  manufacturers  varies,  so  on  its  being  mixed 
with  the  solution  it  must  be  filtered  previous  to  use. 

SILVERING  LARGE  MIRRORS  FOR  PHOTOGRAPHY. 

Dissolve  150  grains  of  nitrate  of  silver  in  6  oz.  of  distilled  water, 
and  to  this  add  ammonia,  drop  by  drop,  until  the  precipitate  at 
first  thrown  down  is  redissolved.  Now,  having  made  a  solution 
of  caustic  potash,  in  the  proportion  of  2^  oz.  of  the  potash  to  50 
oz.  of  water,  add  15  oz.  of  this  to  the  above  solution  of  silver  ; 
and  add  ammonia  as  before,  until  the  deep-brown  precipitate  again 
Ilirown  down  is  redissolved.  Now  add  29  oz.  of  distilled  water, 
after  which  allow  some  solutiou  of  silver  to  be  dropped  in,  gently 
stirring  all  the  while  with  a  glass  rod,  until  a  precipitate  begins  to  be 
formed.  Previous  to  the  immersion  of  the  glass  to  be  silvered, 
dissolve  1  oz.  of  sugar  of  milk  in  10  oz.  of  water.  This  must  be 
filtered  and  kept  in  a  separate  bottle.  Have  ready  a  clean  glass 
vessel  of  a  size  sufficient  to  contain  the  glass  plate  to  be  silvered  ; 
when  everything  is  ready,  mix  together  the  silver  solution  with 
that  of  the  sugar  of  milk,  in  the  proportion  of  10  of  the  former  to 
1  of  the  latter.  Lower  the  glass  down  in  the  solution  until  it  is 
a  little  distance  from  the  bottom,  and  allow  it  to  remain  there  for 
a  period  of  time,  varying  from  15  to  4  hours,  according  to  the 
thickness  of  the  coating  of  silver  desired. 

After  removing  it  from  the  bath,  wash  with  distilled  water, 
and,  when  dry,  polish  by  means  of  a  soft  pad  of  cotton-velvet 
charged  with  rouge.  An  intensely  brilliant  surface  may  be  thus 
obtained  on  both  sides  of  the  glass  plate.  Make  a  3-grain  solution 
of  ammojio-nitrate  of  silver.  Render  it  slightly  turbid  by  excess 
of  nitrate  >f  silver,  and  then  filter  it.  Just  before  using  it  add  to 
each  ounce  of  the  foregoing  solution  2.V  grains  of  Rochelle  salt, 
immerse  the  glass  as  before,  and  expose  to  a  subdued  light  while 
it  remains  in  the  bath.  In  about  2  hours  the  deposit  of  silver  will 
be  sufficiently  thick. 


*8 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


TO  SILVER  GLASS  SPECULA. 

Prepare  three  standard  solutions.  Solution  A — Crystals  ol 
nitrate  of  silver,  90  grains  ;  distilled  water,  4oz.  ;  dissolve.  Solu¬ 
tion  B — Potassa,  pure  by  alcohol,  1  oz.  ;  distilled  water,  25  oz.  ; 
dissolve.  Solution  C — Milk-sugar,  in  powder,  |  oz.  ;  distilled 
water,  5  oz  Solutions  A  and  B  will  keep  in  stoppered  bottles 
for  any  length  of  time  ;  solution  C  must  be  fresh. 

THE  SILVERING  FLUID. 

To  prepare  sufficient  for  silvering  an  8-in.  speculum,  pour 
2  oz.  of  solution  A  into  a  glass  vessel  capable  of  holding  35 
oz.  Add,  drop  by  drop,  stirring  all  the  time  with  a  glass  rod, 
as  much  liquid  ammonia  as  is  just  necessary  to  obtain  a  clear 
solution  of  the  gray  precipitate  first  thrown  down.  Add  4 
oz.  of  solution  B.  The  brown-black  precipitate  formed  must 
be  just  redissolved  by  the  addition  of  more  ammonia,  as  be¬ 
fore.  Add  distilled  water,  until  the  bulk  reaches  15  oz.  and  add, 
drop  by  drop,  some  of  solution  A,  until  a  gray  precipitate,  which 
does  not  redissolve  after  stirring  for  three  minutes,  is  obtained 
then  add  15  oz.  more  of  distilled  water.  Set  this  solution  aside 
to  settle.  Do  not  filter.  When  all  is  ready  for  immersing  the 
mirror,  add  to  the  silvering  solution  2  oz.  of  solution  C,  and  stir 
gently  and  thoroughly.  Solution  C  may  be  filtered. 

TO  PREPARE  THE  SPECULUM. 

Procure  a  circular  block  of  wood,  2  inches  thick,  and  2  inches 
less  in  diameter  than  the  speculum.  Into  this  should  be  screwed 
three  eye-pins,  at  equal  distances.  To  these  pins  fasten  stout 
whipcord,  making  a  secure  loop  at  the  top.  Melt  some  pitch  in 
any  convenient  vessel,  and,  having  placed  the  wooden  block  face 
upward,  on  a  level  table,  pour  on  it  the  fluid  pitch,  and  on  the 
pitch  place  the  back  of  the  speculum,  having  previously  moist¬ 
ened  it  with  a  little  spirits  of  turpentine  to  secure  adhesion.  Let 
the  whole  rest  until  the  pitch  is  cold. 

TO  CLEAN  THE  SPECULUM. 

Place  the  speculum,  cemented  to  the  circular  block,  face  up¬ 
ward,  on  a  level  table  ;  pour  on  it  a  small  quantity  of  nitric 
acid,  and  rub  it  gently  all  over  the  surface  with  a  brush  made  by 
plugging  a  brass  tube  with  pure  cotton  wood.  Having  perfectly 
cleaned  the  surface  and  sides,  wash  well  with  common  water, 
and  finally  with  distilled  water.  Place  the  speculum  face  down¬ 
ward,  in  a  dish  containing  a  little  rectified  spirits  of  wine,  until 
the  silvering  fluid  is  ready. 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


99 


SILVERING  GLASS  GLOBES. 

1.  Take  |  oz.  of  clean  lead,  and  melt  it  with  an  equal  weight 
of  j  ure  tin  ;  then  immediately  add  |  oz.  of  bismuth,  and  care¬ 
fully  skim  off  the  dross  ;  remove  the  alloy  from  the  lire,  and 
before  it  grows  cold  add  5  oz.  of  mercury,  and  stir  the  whole 
well  together  ;  then  put  the  fluid  amalgam  into  a  clean  gla>s  and 
it  is  fit  for  use.  When  this  amalgam  is  used  for  silvering,  let  it 
be  first  strained  through  a  linen  rag  ;  then  gently  pour  some 
ounces  thereof  into  the  globe  intended  to  be  silvered  ;  the  alloy 
should  be  poured  into  the  globe  by  means  of  a  paper  or  glass 
funnel  reaching  almost  to  the  bottom  of  the  globe,  to  prevent  its 
splashing  the  sides  ;  the  globe  should  be  turned  every  way,  very 
slowly,  to  fasten  the  silvering. 

2.  Make  an  alloy  of  3  oz.  of  lead,  2  oz.  of  tin,  and  5  oz.  of 
nsmutli ;  put  a  portion  of  this  alloy  into  the  globe,  and  expose 
it  to  a  gentle  heat  until  the  compouud  is  melted  ;  it  melts  at  197° 
Fahr. ;  then  by  turning  the  globe  slowly  round  an  equal  coating 
may  be  laid  on,  which,  when  cold,  hardens  and  firmly  adheres. 
This  is  one  of  the  cheapest  and  most  durable  methods  of  silver¬ 
ing  glass  globes  internally. 

3.  Nitrate  of  silver,  1  oz. ;  distilled  water,  1  pint ;  strong  liquor 
ammonia,  sufficient  quantity,  added  very  gradually,  to  first  pre¬ 
cipitate  and  then  redissolve  the  silver  ;  then  add  honey,  ^  oz. 
Put  sufficient  quantity  of  this  solution  in  the  globe,  and  then 
place  the  globe  in  a  saucepan  of  water  ;  boil  it  for  10  to  30  min¬ 
utes,  occasionally  removing  it  to  see  the  effect. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

ANOTHER  DIPPING  BATH. 

1.  Take  \  lb.  of  cyanide  of  potassium  and  £  oz.  of  nitrate  of 
silver  ;  dissolve  all  the  cyanide  in  16  oz.  of  distilled  or  boiled 
water,  and  the  silver  in  a  similar  quantity  in  another  vessel.  Into  r 
the  vessel  containing  the  silver  throw  a  spoonful  of  common 
salt ;  stir  this  up  well  with  a  clean  piece  of  wood  and  let  it  settle  ; 
dissolve  some  salt  in  water,  and  after  the  silver  solution  is  settled 
mix  a  few  drops  of  the  salt  water  in  it.  If  there  is  any  cloudi¬ 
ness  formed  it  proves  that  all  the  silver  is  not  thrown  down,  and 
more  salt  must  be  added,  and  then  stir  and  allow  to  settle.  If 
the  addition  of  salt  and  water  has  no  effect,  the  wrater  may  bf 
decanted  off.  carefully  preserving  the  white  deposit.  Now  pour 
some  boiling  water  on  this  deposit ;  let  it  settle,  and  pour  off  as 
before.  Do  this  at  least  three  times  ;  pour  off  as  dry  as  possi¬ 
ble,  and  add  about  a  pint  of  clean  water,  and  then  by  |  oz.  at  a 


TOO 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


time,  the  cyanide  solution,  till  all  the  white  precipitate  is  dii 
solved  ;  add  enough  water  to  make  half  a  gallon.  Stir  well  aftei 
each  addition  of  cyanide  solution. 

If  on  dipping  the  article,  which  must  be  well  cleaned  with 
brick-dust  and  water,  into  this  solution  the  silver  deposits  on  im¬ 
mediately  and  in  a  dark  powder,  it  must  be  weakened  by  adding 
more  water  ;  if  it  coats  slowly,  more  white  precipitate  must  be 
prepared,  washed,  and  added  to  it.  This  must  also  be  done 
when  the  solution  is  getting  short  of  silver.  It  works  best  at 
about  GO  or  70  degrees  of  heat  ;  a  dry,  warm  room  suits  the  ope¬ 
ration. 

Brass  and  copper  only  can  be  silvered  ;  other  metals  require  a 
battery.  This  method  gives  a  beautiful  result  when  the  work  is 
polished  and  burnished. 

2.  Clean  the  articles  thoroughly,  and  then  immerse  them  for  a 
few  seconds  in  a  solution  of  cyanide  of  silver,  which  will  plate 
them  without  any  further  trouble. 

SILVERING  FOR  BAROMETER  AND  THERMOMETER  SCALES. 

Take  \  oz.  of  nitrate  of  silver  ;  dissolve  in  half  a  teacupful  of 
cold  water;  add|  lb.  of  cream  of  tartar,  with  1^  lb.  of  common 
salt,  beaten  or  ground  fine.  Mix  and  stir  well  together,  adding 
water  until  it  attains  the  consistence  of  a  thick  paste.  Now  lay 
the  scale  on  a  board,  the  brass  or  copper  being  previously  wel 
cleaned  and  castoff  from  fine  sand-paper;  rub  the  silvering  on 
with  your  hand  until  it  attains  the  appearance  of  silver,  which 
will  be  a  minute  or  so  ;  now  take  the  work  off  the  board  and  rub 
a  little  wet  whiting  over  it,  wash  out  in  clean  cold  water,  and  dry 
in  saw-dust.  If  varnished  with  a  thin  coat  of  white  hard  var¬ 
nish,  reduced  in  spirits  of  wine,  this  will  last  for  years.  The 
above  quantity  of  silvering  used  with  care  will  silver  six  dozen 
brewers’  thermometers,  14  inches  long. 

OXIDIZING  SILVER  ARTICLES. 

Oxidize  silver-plated  articles  by  dissolving  sulphate  of  copper, 
2  dwts. ;  nitrate  of  potash,  1  dwt. ;  and  muriate  of  ammonia,  2 
dwts. ;  in  a  little  acetic  acid.  Apply  with  a  camel-hair  pencil ; 
but  warm  the  article  first,  and  expose  the  article  to  the  fumes  of 
sulphur  in  a  closed  box  ;  the  parts  not  to  be  colored  must  be 
coated  with  wax. 

SILVERING  POWDER. 

Take  40  grains  of  silver  dust ;  cream  of  tartar,  3  drains  ;  com¬ 
mon  salt,  2  ;  and  40  grains  of  powder  of  alum.  Polish  silver 
articles  with  this  powder  and  a  soft  leather. 


101 


THE  OILDEE’3  MANUAL. 

SILVERING  rOWDER  FOR  COATING  COrPER. 

Nitrate  of  silver,  30  grains  ;  common  salt,  20  ;  cream  of  tartar, 
fty  drams.  Mi*,  moisten  with  water,  and  apply. 

SILVERING  CAST  IRON. 

Fifteen  grammes  of  nitrate  of  silver  are  dissolved  in  250  gram¬ 
mes  of  water,  and  30  grammes  of  cyanide  of  potassium  are  added  ; 
^Len  the  solution  is  complete,  the  liquid  is  poured  into  750  gram¬ 
mes  of  water,  in  which  15  grammes  of  common  salt  have  been 
previously  dissolved.  The  cast  iron  intended  to  be  silvered  by 
this  solution  should,  after  having  been  well  cleaned,  be  placed  for 
a  few  minutes  in  a  bath  of  nitric  acid  of  1.2  sp.  gr.,  just  previous 
to  being  placed  in  the  silvering  fluid. 

PLATING  PASTES. 

1.  Nitrate  of  silver,  1  part ;  common  salt,  1  ;  cream  of  tartar, 
7  ;  powder  and  mix. 

2.  Nitrate  of  silver,  1  part ;  cyanide  of  potassium,  3.  Both  are 
applied  by  wetting  with  a  little  water  and  rubbing  on  the  article 
to  be  plated,  which  must  be  quite  clean.  Plating  done  by  the 
above  will  be  very  thin,  but  it  will  be  silver. 

3.  Get  a  glazed  earthen  vessel,  put  in  1  oz.  of  nitric  acid,  place 
it  on  a  slow  fire,  it  will  boil  instantly,  and  then  throw  in  some 
pieces  of  real  silver  ;  this  will  be  dissolved  at  once.  As  soon  as 
dissolved,  throw  in  a  good  handful  of  common  salt  to  kill  the 
acid,  then  make  into  a  paste  with  common  whiting.  The  article 
required  to  be  silvered  to  be  cleaned  from  grease  and  dirt,  and 
the  paste  to  be  applied  with  a  little  water  and  wash-leather.  This 
paste  will  keep  for  years. 

TO  SEPARATE  SILVER  FROM  COPPER. 

Mix  sulphuric  acid,  1  part ;  nitric  acid,  1 ;  water,  1  ;  boil  the 
metal  in  the  mixture  till  it  is  dissolved,  and  throw  in  a  little  salt 
to  cause  the  silver  to  subside. 

TO  BRIGHTEN  TARNISITED  JEWELRY. 

First  wash  the  articles  in  this  cleansing  solution  -Liquor 
potas5C,  1  fluid  oz.  ;  water,  20  fluid  oz. ;  mix.  Rinse  them  in  cold 
or  warm  water,  and  then  immerse  them  in  the  following  gilders' 
pickle  ; — Common  salt,  1  part ;  alum,  1 ;  saltpeter,  2  ;  water,  3 
or  4  ;  mix.  Let  them  remain,  stirring  them  now  and  then,  until 
the  surfaces  assume  a  bright  golden  appearance.  Five  minutes 
at  most  "will  suffice,  less  time  is  generally  required.  Wash  them 
again  in  cold  or  warm  water,  and  dry  them  with  chamois  leather 
In  hot  boxwood  saw-dust. 


102 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


FROSTED  SILVER. 

Dip  the  article  in  a  solution  of  nitric  acid  and  water,  half  and 
half,  for  a  few  minutes,  then  wash  well  in  clean  water  and  dry 
in  hot  saw -dust.  When  thoroughly  dry  brush  the  saw -dust  away 
with  a  soft  brush,  and  burnish  the  parts  required  to  be  bright. 

SILVERING  CLOCK  DIALS. 

Rub  the  dial  with  a  mixture  of  chloride  of  silver,  tartar,  and 
sea-salt,  and  afterwards  rub  off  the  saline  matter  with  water. 
This  silvering  is  not  durable,  but  it  may  be  improved  by  heating 
the  article,  and  repeating  the  operation,  once,  or  oftener  if  thought 
neccsoary. 

DESILVERING. 

The  following  is  a  liquid  which  will  dissolve  silver  without  at¬ 
tacking  copper,  brass,  or  German  silver,  so  as  to  remove  the  sil 
ver  from  silvered  objects,  plated  ware,  &c.  It  is  a  mixture  of  1 
part  of  nitric  acid  with  G  parts  sulphuric,  heated  in  a  wTater-bath 
to  160°  Falir.,  at  which  temperature  it  operates  best. 

HARD-SOLDER  PLATING. 

Sheet  silver  is  forced  into  a  die,  similar  in  shape  to  the  article 
It  is  destined  to  cover,  but  of  course  only  of  one  side  jx  »t  ;  it  is, 
therefore,  necessary  to  repeat  the  process  in  order  tc  produce  a 
shell  to  fit  the  other  side.  Next,  cut  the  edges  of  the  shells  level, 
and  brush  over  the  insides  with  a  solution  of  water  containing 
borax  in  excess,  which  has  been  boiled  fifteen  minutes,  well  stir¬ 
ring  it  with  the  brush  every  time  it  is  used,  and  to  anneal  the 
shells  by  holding  them  over  a  clear  fire  until  red  hot,  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  sheet  of  silver  was  previously  ;  then  after  slitting 
the  edges  by  small  scissor  cuts  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  long, 
at  intervals  of  about  half  an  inch,  lay  the  shells  aside  in  a  clean 
place,  until  the  article  is  prepared  to  receive  them,  which  is 
done  by  first  heating  it  to  a  dull  red  heat  in  order  to  remove 
grease  or  rust  ;  next  carefully  file  the  part  on  which  the  silver  is 
to  be  fixed,  using  a  medium  cut  file  called  a  bastard,  rubbing  it 
occasionally  with  a  piece  of  borax,  and  taking  care  not  to  handle 
the  article  with  the  fingers  where  filed,  but  to  use  pincers  or  tongs 
to  shift  it  when  required.  Now,  with  the  sharp  point  of  a  clean 
knife,  carefully  remove  any  granules  of  calcined  borax  found  ad¬ 
hering  to  the  inside  of  the  shells,  using  the  most  extreme  caution 
on  this  and  on  all  other  occasions  to  handle  them  on  the  outside 
only  ;  and  after  lightly  brushing  the  outside,  to  remove  any  dust 


the  gilder’s  manual. 


103 


which  may  possibly  be  deposited  there,  adjust  them  on  the  article 
(which  should  be  first  rubbed  with  borax  all  over)  allowing  the 
edges  of  one  shell  to  slightly  overlap  the  edges  of  the  other  ;  and, 
supposing  it  to  be  a  kidney  link  belonging  to  harness  hanies  we 
are  hard  soldering,  cramp  them  on  about  every  two  inches  with 
very  tine  soft  iron  wire,  about  24  or  23  gauge  ;  next  wind  loosely- 
twisted  twine,  about  five  or  six  strands  thick,  very  tightly  ovei 
all,  putting  the  winds  very  close  together,  in  fact  it  would  be 
better  if  they  overlapped  each  other  a  little ;  next  fix  in  the 
vise  a  small  lmrd-wood  block,  and,  holding  the  work  on  this, 
thoroughly  beat  it  all  over,  turning  it  about  frequently,  so  that 
every  part  may  be  equally  beaten  ;  the  tool  used  for  this  purpose 
is  called  a  madge,  and  is  a  lead  hammer  about  three  pounds  in 
weight,  with  the  face  covered  with  six  or  seven  thicknesses  of 
stout  woolen  ;  the  object  of  this  beating  is  to  cause  the  silver 
shells  to  grip  the  article  very  closely.  The  solder,  which  is  sup¬ 
plied  to  the  operative  in  thin  sheets,  must  now  be  well  scoured 
with  emery  cloth,  brushed  over  with  the  borax  solution,  and 
annealed  in  the  same  manner  as  the  silver  sheets ;  cut  it  into 
strips  rather  less  than  an  eighth  of  an  inch  wide,  and  bind  it  into 
the  work  all  along  those  parts  where  the  edges  of  the  shells  meet, 
by  winding  over  with  fine  iron  wire  the  same  size,  or  a  little  finer, 
'ban  that  used  tor  the  cramping  ;  take  the  cramps  off  one  by  one 
as  the  winding  progress.  When  adjusting  the  solder  on  ready  for 
binding,  take  notice  to  lay  it  on  the  shell  that  has  its  edge  over¬ 
lapped  with  the  other  shell,  and,  in  afterward  putting  the  work 
into  the  fire,  let  it  be  in  such  a  manner  that  what  we  may  call  the 
underlapping  shell  is  uppermost  in  the  fire. 

Next  heat  the  wrork  rather  hotter  than  the  hand  can  bear,  and 
thoroughly  brush  it  over  with  the  borax  solution  ;  the  heat  imme¬ 
diately  dries  out  the  water,  and  leaves  it  covered  with  a  thin 
stratum  of  borax,  but,  as  we  do  not  require  the  borax  all  over, 
take  a  dry  hard  brush  and  brush  off  a  portion  of  it,  leaving  it  only 
on  the  overlapping  shell  edges  and  solder. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  it  is  essential  that  the 
silver  should  lie  as  closely  to  the  work  as  possible,  and  that  ex¬ 
treme  care  should  be  taken  to  keep  the  metals  mechanically,  and 
by  means  of  borax  chemically,  cl.  an,  and  free  from  films  of  air 
or  oxide,  which  would  prevent  the  junction  of  the  metals  by  the 
firing  process,  which  next  follows,  being  sound  and  good. 

T.  e  first  must  be  clear  and  bright,  and  be  composed  of  coke  or 
charcoal  in  pieces  of  a  uniform  size  ;  this  precaution  is  most 
essential,  as  a  regular  heat  cannot  be  otherwise  insured.  Place 
the  work  in  the  fire,  heap  some  firing  lightly  and  carefully  on  the 
top  of  it,  and  bring  it  to  a  good  red  heat  as  possible  by  blowing 


104 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


with  bellows,  taking  extreme  care  to  heat  it  equally  all  o*er,  in 
order  that  all  the  solder  may  melt  and  flow  equally  at  the  time  ; 
continue  the  heat  for  a  few  moments  after  the  solder  has  flowed, 
then,  taking  the  work  from  the  fire,  allow  the  solder  to  set,  that 
is,  to  solidify,  and  quickly  unwind  the  wire  from  off  it,  while  it 
is  still  hot,  otherwise  the  wire  will  be  difficult  to  get  off  ;  a  coat¬ 
ing  of  excessively  hard  fused  borax  will  now  be  found  adhering 
to  the  outside  of  the  article,  which  can  be  removed  by  immersion 
in  a  strong  solution  of  muriatic  acid  and  water.  The  article,  if  a 
small  one,  is  now  virtually  hard-solder  plated,  the  remaining  pro¬ 
cesses  being  simply  to  test  the  soundness,  that  is,  the  perfect  ad¬ 
hesiveness  of  the  silver  coating,  and  the  polishing  off  ;  but  if  a 
large  one,  such  as  we  are  supposed  to  be  plating,  it  is  done  in  two 
portions,  called  by  the  workmen  first  end  and  last  end,  respective¬ 
ly,  experience  having  shown  that  this  method  is  most  conducive 
to  success — in  fact,  kidney  links  must  of  necessity  be  done  so, 
the  first  end  being  done  before  the  link  is  welded  into  the  hame, 
and  the  last  end  afterward.  Pole  chains  also  have  to  be  plated 
in  separate  links,  one-half  of  a  link  only  being  done  at  one  time, 
and,  as  they  usually  contain  about  thirty  links,  it  follows  that  the 
whole  process  has  to  be  repeated  some  sixty  times  for  one  pole 
chain,  thus  explaining  why  hard -solder  plating  pole  chains  is 
such  a  long  and  expensive  job.  Solder  used  in  liard-solder  silvef 
plating  usually  contains  about  7  parts  of  silver  to  3  of  brass 

The  processes  now  being  described  assume  that  silver  is  the 
metal  used  to  plate  with,  but  they  apply  equally  to  other  metals 
suitable  for  hard  solder  work,  such  as  German  silver  and  brass. 
A  composite  metal,  termed  gold-colored  or  gilding  metal  is  occa¬ 
sionally  hard  soldered  with,  but  it  is  very  refractory  in  the  work 
ing,  as  the  proportion  of  alluminum  it  contains,  although  very 
small,  renders  it  extremely  hard  and  springy  when  rolled  into 
sheets.  Gold  is  rarely  hard  soldered  with,  mercurial  gilding 
answering  the  same  purpose. 

The  work  having  remained  in  the  solution  some  15  or  -0  min¬ 
utes,  we  now  take  it  out,  remove  the  borax,  and  dry  it,  and  the 
next  process  tells  if  the  former  ones  have  been  skillfully  and 
cleanlily  performed  ;  this  is  the  hammering,  and  to  execute  it, 
take  a  small  iron  block  about  an  inch  square,  by  four  or  five 
inches  long,  fix  it  in  the  vise,  and  after  lightly  filing  off  the 
small  projecting  pieces  of  silver  or  solder,  of  which  a  few  almost 
invariably  occur  in  the  firing,  give  the  work  a  rub  or  two  with 
emery  cloth,  and,  laying  it  on  the  block,  hammer  it  all  over, 
with  a  flat-faced  blight  steel  hammer,  about  six  or  eight  ounces 
in  weight  ;  this  levels  and  hardens  the  silver,  und  shows  if  it  is 
•oundly  fixed,  because  the  moment  an  unsound  place  is  struck 


105 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

mritli  the  hammer  it  rises  up  in  a  blister.  Then  comes  a  most 
i  roublesome  and  delicate  job,  for  the  blister  must  be  filed  off,  and 
i  i  patch  put  on  in  place  of  it,  and  when  the  work  is  fired  a  sec¬ 
ond  time  it  is  apt  to  rise  (as  the  the  technical  term  goes)  in  other 
olaces,  and  so  the  unskillful  or  unlucky  workman  has  got  into  a 
mess  from  which  he  is  fortunate  if  he  escapes  without  sacrific¬ 
ing  all  his  previous  labor  and  materials.  However,  we  have  sue* 
cessfully  surmounted  all  our  difficulties,  and  find  our  work  turn 
out  sound,  so  will  now  take  a  smooth  file  and  smooth  the  silver 
ill  over,  and  afterward  rub  it  well  with  emery  cloth  to  prepare 
it  for  the  final  polishing  processes,  which  are  effected  by  prepar¬ 
ing  finely-powdered  pumice-stone,  by  mixing  it  with  animal  oil 
in  such  proportions  that  when  squeezed  in  the  hand  it  will  be  of 
just  sufficient  consistence  to  hold  together  ;  next  take  a  strip  of 
buff  leather,  about  an  inch  wide  by  a  foot  long,  and  glue  or  nail 
it  tightly  on  a  strip  of  wood  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch 
thick,  in  such  a  manner  that  the  buff  leather  projects  an  eighth 
of  an  inch  over  the  edge  of  the  wood — this  is  technically  called 
a  buff ;  take  a  pinch  of  the  prepared  pumice,  spread  it  on  the 
buff,  and  rub  the  work  with  it  all  over,  repeating  the  operation 
until  all  the  file  or  other  marks  are  rubbed  out  of  it ;  next,  use  a 
strip  of  woolen  material  moistened  with  a  mixture  of  oil  and 
powdered  rotten-stone,  using  with  all  these  three  concluding  pro 
cesses  a  large  quantity  of  what  our  forefathers  termed  elbo\* 
grease  ;  and  now  we  have  produced  a  sound  and  workman-lik% 
piece  of  hard-solder  silver  plating. 

SOFT-SOLDER  PLATING. 

Hard-solder  plating  is  preferred  where  there  is  very  much  weal 
and  knocking  about  of  the  plated  object.  Soft-solder,  or  Close 
Plating,  as  it  is  generally  called,  answers  very  well  for  inside  or 
top  work — where  there  is  little  wear  and  few  blows.  It  is  called 
close  plating  probably  because  it  is  not  liable  to  blistering  during 
process  but  adheres  easily  and  completely  to  the  metal  base.  The 
following  is  the  process  : 

The  article  being  filed  clean  and  smooth,  and  polished  with 
emery  cloth,  is  next  well  tinned  by  being  dipped  in  a  melted 
mixture  of  lead  one  part,  and  tin  three  parts.  Give  the  objects 
tinned  a  smart  jerk  when  lifted  so  as  to  leave  an  even  coating  of 
tin  all  over  it,  then  lay  the  sheet  silver  upon  the  object,  and  giv¬ 
ing  it  a  blow  with  the  “  madge”  obtain  the  shape  of  the  object 
or  the  shape  of  the  half  of  it  to  be  plated  at  one  time.  Cut  out 
the  silver  foil  to  the  shape  and  then  with  a  well-tinned  copper  bit 
rub  the  silver  upon  the  object  to  be  plated,  beginning  gently- 
holding  the  object  and  silver  in  a  ^air  of  tonga.  The  solder  (tin 


THE  GILDER'S  MANUAL. 


revering  the  object)  melts  and  holds  the  silver.  The  copper  bit 
eiu>4  be  skillfully  urged  over  the  whole  surface  until  the  work  is 
finished.  If  a  blister  rises  cut  it  across  (not  out)  let  out  the  air 
and  rcsolder  with  the  bit  and  burnish  it  down.  German  silver 
and  brass  foil  can  be  plated  upon  iron  as  well  as  silver  by  this 
process.  The  finishing  is  done  in  the  same  way  as  in  hard-sol- 
dei  plating.  Solder-plating  of  cither  kind  is  more  lasting  than 
that  in  which  the  foil  is  merely  rubbed  on  a  hot  foundation  of 
met&L 


PICTURE  FRAMING 

AND 

General  Information  for  Picture  Dealers. 


It  is  oftentimes  the  case  that  both  frames  and  oil  paintings  are 
left  with  the  gilder  to  renovate,  and  it  is  highly  important  that 
ho  should  be  informed  as  to  the  best  methods  in  use  for  cleaning, 
re  mounting,  varnishing,  &c.,  and  also  to  know  some  of  t^e  best 
receipts  used  in  the  various  processes.  It  may  be  as  well  to  cau¬ 
tion  the  inexperienced,  not  to  attempt  too  much,  as  an  error  in 
judgment,  or  careless  manipulation,  may  entirely  ruin  a  valuable 
picture,  and  those  who  wish  to  undertake  the  restoration  of  oil 
paintings  must,  in  the  first  place,  be  careful ,  and  then  try  some 
of  the  most  simple  processes,  before  trying  those  which  even  tax 
the  skill  of  the  experienced. 

The  cleaning  and  restoration  of  paintings  is  usually  paid  for 
most  liberally,  und  to  the  man  of  business,  this  chapter  will  be 
worth  gold  and  silver,  while  the  amateur  who  wishes  to  try  his 
on  one  of  his  own  pictures,  will  be  delighted  with  his  success,  if 
he  possesses  the  skill  and  judgment  to  follow  the  instructions 
laid  down. 

Oil  paintings  come  to  hand  for  restoration,  in  almost  every 
stage  of  decay  ;  and  where  a  valuable  work  of  art  has  been  neg¬ 
lected,  with  the  canvass  rotten,  or  worm  eaten,  or  where  the  body 
of  paint  has  parted  from  the  canvass,  or  where  the  picture  is 
cracked  badly,  and  pieces  of  the  picture  fell  away  ;  it  requires 
thought,  judgment,  and  a  careful  and  skillful  man  to  treat  these 


107 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

works  of  art,  so  that  succeeding  generations  may  be  delighted 
with  their  beauty.  We  will  begin  by  describing  some  of  the  more 
simple  processes,  in  cleaning,  repairing,  varnishing,  &c. 

CLEANING. 

Sometimes  a  painting  simply  requires  cleaning,  when  a  soft 
sponge  used  with  soap  and  soft  water,  will  accomplish  all  that  is 
required. 

Cleaning  Varnished  Pictures.— There  are  conditions  where 
the  above  simple  process  will  not  accomplish  what  is  required  ; 
whe.e  a  thick  coat  ng  of  varnish  has  been  applied  to  the  picture 
and  h  has  been  hung  in  a  smoky  room,  and  dust  and  dirt  has  been 
allowe.  ( to  gather  and  remain  ;  then  it  is  that  no  high  lights  will 
be  visil  le,  the  sky  will  be  dirty,  no  distance  visible,  and  perhaps 
the  figures  in  the  foreground,  but  very  indistinct.  Under  Jiese 
conditions  the  varnish  must  be  either  removed  or  the  smoke  and 
dirt  musi  be  brought  out  of  the  varnish.  If  it  is  thought  desira¬ 
ble  to  try  the  latter,  the  following  receipt  will  be  found  valuable 
for  the  purpose  : — 2  oz.  wood  naptha,  1  oz.  muriatic  acid,  \  pint 
of  linseed  oil. 

Mix  the  above  well  together,  and  before  using  shake  the  bottle. 
It  can  be  used  as  follows  : — Get  some  soft  linen  rags,  and  make  up 
a  soft  pad,  winch  place  on  the  mouth  of  the  bottle  and  shake  up 
some  of  the  mixture  into  the  pad,  then  commence  rubbing  the 
picture  with  a  circular  motion,  and  when  nearly  dry  give  the 
pad  another  dressing  of  mixture,  and  continue  this  mode  of  pro¬ 
cedure  for  some  time,  when  the  picture  will  gradually  come  out 
in  al.1  its  detail. 

Removing  the  varnish  requires  care  that  the  picture  is  not 
damaged,  and  must  be  watched  as  you  proceed,  as  follows:-  With 
the  third  finger  of  the  right  hand  commence  rubbing  the  varnish 
in  a  circular  form,  when  it  will  be  found  (if  the  picture  has  b«mi 
varnished  with  the  right  kind  of  varnish)  that  a  fine  dust  or  powT- 
der  begins  to  come  oii  the  picture,  and  will  continue  to  rub  oil 
till  the  whole  of  the  varnished  surface  has  disappeared,  and  the 
surface  of  the  picture  can  then  be  sponged. 

LINING. 

Old  pictures  in  time  require  lining  when  the  canvas  is  rotten, 
torn,  or  damaged,  and  if  not  repaired  rapidly  go  to  decay.  A 
new  stretcher  and  canvas  is  usually  prepared  the  size  required, 
when  the  picture  is  carefully  cut  from  the  old  stretcher,  and  with 
thin  glue  (not  too  hot)  cover  the  back  of  the  picture,  and  lay  it 
down  on  the  new  corners,  taking  care  to  lay  it  ut  first  in  its  proper 


108 


THE  GILDER*8  MANUAL. 


place,  as  it  would  be  impossible  to  raise  it  again  without  damage. 
The  picture  must  not  lie  in  the  glue  too  long. 

BLISTERED  PAINTINGS. 

Oftentimes  in  old  paintings  the  paint  will  become  disengaged 
from  the  priming  of  the  canvas  through  damp  and  other  causes 
in  blisters,  and  if  not  seen  to  is  liable  to  get  broken  out  of  the 
picture.  A  successful  method  employed  has  been  to  puncture 
the  blister  with  a  pin  in  numerous  holes,  and  then  rub  in  some 
good  paste  carefully,  and  when  enough  of  the  paste  has  been  in¬ 
troduced  the  surface  is  scraped  clean,  and  rubbed  over  with  an 
oil  rag  moistened  with  linseed  oil.  Cover  the  part  with  a  white 
sheet  of  paper,  and  pass  over  the  spot  a  flat  iron,  not  too  hot, 
when  it  will  be  found  the  detached  part  will  be  firmly  adhering 
10  the  canvas. 


TO  SMOOTH  A  DAMAGED  PICTURE. 

Paintings  sometimes  get  convex  and  concave  patches  on  their 
surface,  owing  to  pressure  on  one  side  or  the  other,  and  these 
Inequalities  cause  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  bring  out.  The  most 
successful  way  is  to  well  wet  the  picture  both  sides  on  the  spot, 
and  keep  it  under  pressure  till  dry.  With  small  pictures  the 
quickest  way  would  be  to  take  them  off  the  stretcher  and  lay 
them  in  a  press,  with  a  light  pressure  between  soft  sheets  of 
paper. 

VARNISHING. 

Care  should  be  taken  that  the  best  mastic  varnish  only  should 
be  used,  and  laid  on  with  a  flat  ground  hog’s  hair  tool  in  tin. 
Pour  on  the  center  of  the  picture  a  supply  of  varnish,  and  com¬ 
mence  at  one  edge  and  work  over  to  the  other  side,  and  then  re¬ 
peat  this  operation  from  the  other  edges,  so  as  to  cross  the  var¬ 
nish  and  get  it  laid  evenly. 

FIELDING  ON  RESTORATION  OF  OLD  PAINTINGS. 

The  usual  commencement  is  with  soft  water  and  common  yel¬ 
low  soap,  with  soft  soap  and  water,  or  with  ox-gall  and  water ; 
the  latter  being  stronger  than  soaps.  When  these  have  been  well 
applied  with  a  very  soft  sponge  containing  not  the  least  parti¬ 
cle  of  grit  or  sand,  the  picture  is  to  be  washed  with  clean  water, 
and  made  perfectly  dry  with  old  linen  cloth  or  silk  handker¬ 
chiefs,  the  latter  are  preferable.  In  using  the  ox-gall  the  best 
method  would  be  to  lay  it  on  the  picture  (which  is  to  be  placed 
horizontally)  with  a  brush,  and  when  the  first  layer  is  dry  add 
another  afterward,  allowing  the  gall  to  remain  on  the  picture  for 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


109 


two  or  three  days  ;  then  with  a  sponge  and  a  plentiful  supply  of 
clean  water,  it  will  be  perceived  that  a  considerable  quantity  of 
various  impurities  have  attached  themselves  to  the  gall,  and  are 
removed  at  the  same  time  with  it,  leaving  the  picture  so  consid¬ 
erably  improved  in  appearance  as  sometimes  to  require  little  or 
nothing  more.  Before  much  water  is  used  in  the  first  stages  of 

,  picture  cleaning,  the  state  of  the  pointing  must  be  considered,  for 
if  the  color  be  much  broken  up,  or  cracked  over  the  whole  sur¬ 
face,  it  might  be  rather  dangerous  to  apply  much  water  in  the 
first  instance.  In  cases  of  this  kind  we  recommend  that  the 
back  of  the  picture  be  well  saturated  with  copal  varnish  by  sev¬ 
eral  applications  with  a  strong  brush  previous  to  its  being  lined. 
This  will  in  a  great  measure  assist  in  attaching  the  ground  od 
which  the  picture  has  been  painted  to  the  cloth,  and  perhaps  en¬ 
tirely  prevent  the  tendency  that  grounds  much  broken  into  have 
to  leave  the  cloth  ;  yet,  when  all  has  been  done  that  can  be,  by 
varnishing  the  back,  it  will  be  still  necessary  to  use  no  more 
water  than  is  absolutely  necessaiy,  unless  well  assured  that  no 
size  or  glue  has  been  used  in  the  composition  of  the  ground.  If 
more  be  necessary  after  these  washings,  as  the  removal  of  the 
varnish,  &c.,  use  a  little  smart  friction  with  the  finger,  dipped 
previously  into  a  box  of  impalpable  pumice-stone  powders  ;  this 
will  ascertain  by  the  peculiar  smell  produced  whether  the  varnish 
that  has  been  used  be  mastic  or  not.  If  it  be  mastic,  it  may  by  a 
continuance  of  the  same  process,  be  rubbed  olf  all  the  delicate 
parts  of  the  picture  without  much  risk  of  taking  up  the  colors, 
as  the  varnish  rises  under  the  finger  in  the  form  of  a  white  pow¬ 
der,  which  ceases  to  rise  after  the  whole  has  been  taken  off.  We 
must  add,  that  after  the  varnish  has  begun  to  come  off  freely  in 
powd's-,  no  more  pumice-powdei  need  be  used. 

TO  REMOVE  VARNISHES. 

J  In  removing  varnishes  of  a  recent  date,  pumice-stone  powdei 
may  be  employed,  and  a  very  soft  and  fine  bottle  cork  will  save 
the  fingers,  but  nothing  will  answer  so  well  as  the  finger  on  the 
more  delicate  tints, for  the  removal  of  a  strong  varnish,  as  copal, 
&c.,  a  mixture  of  spirit  of  wine  and  spirit  of  turpentine  will  be 
required.  To  make  these  two  spirits  unite,  a  small  quantity  ol 
salt  of  tartar  (tartrate  of  potassa)  is  to  be  added.  Every  time  this 
is  used  the  bottle  is  to  be  well  shaken,  very  little  poured  on  the 
picture,  and  rubbed  on  with  a  small  piece  of  flannel ;  then  lay  on 
the  part  rubbed  a  few  drops  of  olive  oil  to  retard  the  action  of  the 
spirits.  These  operations  are  to  be  repeated  over  the  whole  pic¬ 
ture,  frequently  changing  the  pieces  of  fiannel,  and  as  frequently 
applying  the  olive  oil  in  order  to  see  what  progress  has  been 


110 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


made.  The  picture,  lastly,  is  to  be  washed  with  a  sponge,  soap, 
and  water,  afterward  with  clean  water,  and  then  covered  with  a 
fresh  varnish.  If  any  stains  should  be  found  on  the  picture  so 
unconquerable  as  to  remain  after  the  above  process,  a  little  oil  of 
spike  lavander  will  certainly  remove  them  ;  but  the  greatest  care 
must  be  taken  in  using  this  essential  oil ;  it  softens  old  paint  so 
quickly  that  there  is  scarcely  time  to  apply  it  and  the  olive  oil 
before  it  has  gone  too  far  ;  it  is  better  to  reduce  its  strength  with 
spirits  of  turpentine  if  it  should  happen  to  be  too  genuine.  Many 
use  lancets  and  small  scrapers,  but  this  operation  has  also  its  risks 
from  scratches,  &c. 

Another  Method. — Soluble  varnishes  (as  sugar,  glue,  gum- 
arabic,  honey,  isinglass,  and  white  of  egg)  and  dirt  generally  may 
be  removed  with  hot  water.  To  ascertain  whether  the  painting 
be  coated  or  varnished  with  such  materials,  moisten  some  part 
with  water  and  try  if  it  is  clammy  to  the  touch.  To  clean  the 
picture,  lay  it  horizontally  upon  a  table  or  some  convenient  stand, 
and  go  over  the  surface  with  a  sponge  dipped  in  boiling  water,  the 
process  to  be  continued  till  the  coating  begins  to  soften,  when  the 
heat  must  be  gradually  lowered  as  the  varnish  is  removed.  If, 
however,  the  coating  stubbornly  adheres,  gentle  friction  with 
stale  bread  crumbs,  a  damp  linen  cloth,  or  the  end  of  the  forefin¬ 
ger,  will  generally  effect  the  object  or  assist  in  doing  so.  White 
of  egg,  if  not  coagulated,  may  be  removed  by  heat,  by  using  an 
excess  of  albumen  and  cold  water;  but  if  coaugulated,  by  employ¬ 
ing  a  weak  solution  of  a  caustic  alkali,  as  potash.  Coated  dirt  is 
removed  by  washing  with  warm  water,  then  covering  with  spirit 
of  wine,  renewed  for  ten  minutes,  and  washing  off  with  water 
without  rubbing.  Spots  or  stains  should  be  washed  with  water, 
dried  with  soft  linen  rags,  and  covered  with  olive  oil,  warmed ; 
after  the  oil  has  remained  on  for  twenty  minutes,  gentle  friction 
with  the  finger  should  be  used,  the  foul  oil  wiped  off,  and  fresh 
oil  laid  on  until  the  spots  disappear.  Should  this  fail,  spirits  of 
wine,  essence  of  lemon,  or  oil  of  turpentine,  may  be  carefully  ap¬ 
plied,  observing  that  the  stained  parts  only  are  to  be  covered. 
These  applications  should  be  cleaned  off,  first  with  wTater,  then 
with  olive  oil.  Sometimes  even  these  means  fail  ;  in  such  cases 
strong  soap  suds  should  be  applied  to  the  spots  and  retained  there 
until  they  disappear.  The  parts  must  then  be  washed  with  water. 
To  restore  an  oil  painting,  clean  the  decajred  picture  thoroughly, 
and  spread  it,  face  downward,  upon  a  smooth  table  ;  wrell  moisten 
the  back  with  boiling  water,  and  when  the  canvas  is  sufficiently 
moistened,  turn  the  picture  face  upward,  stretch  it  tightly  and 
nail  it  down  to  the  table  all  round  the  edges.  Then  cover  the 
painting  with  very  hot  strong  glue,  and  over  this,  nearly  all  round 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


Ill 


the  border,  linen  cloth,  somewhat  worn,  of  the  same  size  as  the 
picture.  The  picture  should  then  be  exposed  to  the  sun  to  dry  as 
quickly  as  possible.  When  dry  detach  it  from  the  table,  and 
nail  it  down  again  face  downward.  Then  place  a  slightly  raised 
border  of  wax  all  round  the  edges,  and  placing  the  table  on  a  per¬ 
fect  level,  pour  over  the  picture  a  mixture  of  nitric  acid  and 
water.  Care  must  be  taken  that  this  mixture  be  not  too  strong  . 
this  is  ascertained  by  dipping  the  finger  in  it,  and  if  the  finger 
does  not  turn  yellow  immediately,  the  mixture  is  in  due  propor¬ 
tion.  Suffer  this  fluid  to  remain  upon  the  canvas  till  the  tex¬ 
ture  is  quite  dissolved  and  the  thread  rotted  ;  then  pour  it  off, 
and  detach  the  threads  of  the  canvas  with  a  spatula ;  thus,  the 
crust  of  the  painting  will  alone  remain  glued  face  downward  to 
the  linen  cloth  before  mentioned.  Then  wash  the  crust  with  pure 
water,  wipe  it  with  a  fine  sponge  and  leave  it  to  dry.  When  dry, 
cover  it  with  glue,  mixed  with  a  little  spirits  of  wine,  coat  a  piece 
of  new  canvas  about  the  size  of  the  picture  with  this,  and  spread 
it  smoothly,  and  press  it  upon  the  back  of  the  picture.  The 
pressure  may  be  accelerated  with  plates  of  lead  or  marble  slabs, 
these  being  cleaned  from  time  to  time  of  any  particles  of  glue  that 
may  adhere  to  them.  All  that  now  remains  to  be  done  is  to  re¬ 
move  the  linen  cloth  and  glue  from  the  face  of  the  painting.  As 
soon,  therefore,  as  the  last  glueing  is  dry,  detach  the  whole  from 
the  table,  and  turn  the  linen  cloth  up  and  moisten  it  with  the 
mixture  of  aquafortis  and  water  ;  by  this  means  its  texture  will 
soon  be  destroyed,  and  may  be  broken  away,  the  glue  being  re¬ 
moved  with  hot  water.  The  painting  will  then  be  transferred 
perfect  and  entire  to  a  new  canvas.  When  the  painting  is  on  wood 
the  wood  must  be  pared  until  it  be  very  thin,  and  the  mixture  of 
aquafortis  and  water  being  poured  upon  the  remaining  portion, 
will  speedily  dissolve  its  texture,  and  render  the  picture  easy  of 
removal.  This  is  a  delicate  process  and  requires  great  care  and 
experience. 

TORN  CANVAS. 

A  torn  canvas  may  be  repaired  by  cutting  a  suitable  sized  piece 
of  close  canvas,  and  dipping  it  into  melted  wax,  applying  it  hot 
at  the  back  of  the  picture  to  be  repaired.  The  torn  part  must  be 
carefully  brought  together  and  smoothed  down.  As  the  wax 
chills  the  canvas  adheres  firmly,  and  the  superfluous  wax  at  the 
back  and  front  of  the  picture  must  be  taken  off.  When  dry  fill 
up  the  interstices  with  compo  used  by  gilders,  and  it  will  be  found 
that  the  paint  will  adhere  readily. 

It  is  not  expected  that  any  of  the  foregoing  methods  will  restore 
the  colors  of  old  pictures,  for  in  course  of  time  the  colors  gradu- 


112 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


ally  become  darker  ;  the  flesh  tints  particularly  take  a  reddish 
yellow  color,  by  which  the  truth  of  the  picture  is  very  much  in 
jured.  The  fault  is  in  the  oil  with  which  the  colors  are  made, 
for  all  kinds  of  oil  become  yellow  in  time.  Nut  oil  is  most  com. 
monly  made  use  of,  with  which  the  colors  are  dissolved  and 
ground,  and  which  is  drying  in  its  nature. 

Alkali  of  any  kind  should  be  cautiously  applied,  such  as  soap, 
pearlash,  soda,  if  the  picture  is  not  varnished  •  but  in  experi¬ 
enced  hands  spirits  of  wine,  oil  of  turpentine  may  be  us:  d  to  take* 
out  dirt  or  stains  in  the  subject.  Unvarnished  pictures  must  not 
lie  under  treatment  too  long,  or  they  will  be  liable  to  come  up 
from  the  canvas. 


TOOLS  REQUIRED. 

The  tools  required  by  the  picture  frame  maker  may  soon  be 
enumerated. 

Miter  Block. — This  block  is  made  to  guide  the  saw  in  cutting 
np  mouldings.  It  consists  of  a  thick  piece  of  wood  glued  in  a 
food  bottom,  with  saw  cuts  in  it  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  so  that 
the  moulding,  when  cut  off,  will  form  a  square  frame.  Eighteen 
inches  long  will  be  found  a  convenient  length.  (See  fig.  7.)  Miter 
boxes,  may  be  purchased  of  dealers  in  carpenter’s  tools  of  differ¬ 
ent  sizes.  Langdon’s  being  favorably  known  to  the  trade. 


Shooting  Board  -  This  board  is  made  with  a  ledge,  screwed  on 
at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  and  a  flat  run  for  the  plane  laid  on  its 
side.  The  use  of  the  shooting  board  is  to  “shoot”  or  plane  the 
ends  of  the  mouldings  to  bring  the  miters  close  together.  (See 
fig.  8,  page  113.) 

Shooting  Planes. — Planes  about  15  inches  long,  and  the  width 
3£,  without  handles,  the  plane  iron  without  a  guard,  used  for 
snooting  the  ends  of  the  moldings  on  the  shooting  board. 
Smoothing  and  other  planes  are  sometimes  required. 

Saws. — Those  used  for  cutting  up  moldings  are  called  tenon 
or  back  saws,  and  are  supported  at  the  back  by  a  piece  of  bras* 
or  iron  to  prevent  the  thin  blade  of  the  saw  from  bemjing. 


THIS  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


113 


Hammers,  various  sizes,  and  not  too  heavy. 

Chisels,  different  widths  ;  Bradawls  and  Gimlets ,  various  sizes. 

Screwdrivers,  large  and  small. 

In  addition  to  which  a  few  small  tools,  such  as  pincers,  scis* 
sors,  punches,  squares,  &c. 

There  must  also  be  cut  brads,  from  |  to  3  inches  long,  picture 
rings  of  all  sizes,  nails,  screws,  &c.  There  is  also  a  useful  imple¬ 
ment  known  as  the  Banks  &  Seger  clamp,  for  clamping  the  frame 
while  the  corners  are  being  secured.  It  is  a  useful  and  not 
costly  implement,  and  is  sold  by  dealers  in  tools. 

Glue  is  also  used,  and  as  its  strength  is  dependent  upon  quality, 
we  will  give  a  little  information  upon  the  subject,  as  the  strength 
of  the  work  is  only  secured  by  a  good  article. 


In  applying  glue,  the  hotter  the  glue  the  more  force  it  will 
exert  in  keeping  the  united  parts  together ;  it  should,  therefore, 
be  applied  immediately  after  boiling.  Glue  loses  much  of  its 
strength  by  frequent  re-melting.  Glue  should  be  purchased  in 
dry  weather,  for  that  which  is  then  soft  is  not  of  so  good  a 
quality  as  that  which  is  crisp.  The  most  transparent  is  the  best. 
Good  glue,  if  immersed  in  water  for  two  or  three  days  will  not 
dissolve,  but  swell ;  if  of  inferior  quality  it  will  partly  or  wholly 
dissolve.  Again,  that  glue  is  the  best  which,  being  dissolved  in 
water  by  heat,  may  be  drawn  into  the  thinest  filament,  and  does 
not  drop  from  the  brush  as  oil  or  water,  but  when  falling  extends 
itself  into  threads.  Glue  made  from  the  skin  of  old  animals  is 
much  stronger  than  that  of  young  ones. 

PASTE. 

Mix  one  tablespoonful  of  wheat  flour  with  half  a  pint  of  cold 
water,  adding  the  latter  gradually,  and  thoroughly  stirring  in 
each  portion  before  pouring  in  more,  place  the  vessel  over  the 
fire  and  stir  the  whole  assiduously  until  it  boils  ;  great  care 
should  be  taken  to  prevent  caking  or  burning  on  the  bottoni. 


114 


THE  GILDER' S  MANUAL. 


An  addition  of  half  a  teaspoonful  of  powdered  alum  will 
strengthen  the  product.  The  addition  of  a  few  grains  of  corro 
sive  sublimate,  or  a  few  drops  of  creosote,  will  prevent  it  from 
turning  mouldy  and  preserve  it  for  years.  When  too  hard  or 
dry  it  may  be  softened  by  beating  up  with  a  little  hot  water. 

MITERING  PICTURE  FRAMES. 

Tn  order  to  get  instruction  in  the  art  of  making  picture  frames, 
we  will  go  into  a  shop  where  the  frames  are  mitered  together, 
fitted  up,  and  turned  out  to  be  hung  in  cottage  or  mansion,  and 
where  all  the  frames  from  the  gilder’s  shop  adjoining  come  to  be 
bitted  up  and  completed.  As  we  see  two  or  three  very  busily  en¬ 
gaged  in  various  occcupations,  we  will  not  interupt  them  for  the 
present,  but  take  a  critical  survey  of  the  shop.  It  is  lighted  by 
windows  on  two  sides,  and  a  stout  wide  bench  runs  under 
the  windows  round  two  sides  of  the  room.  At  certain  distances 
we  see  bench  vises  fastened,  at  some  of  which  we  see  men  busily 
at  work.  Down  the  middle  of  the  shop  is  another  wide  bench, 
and  on  it  we  see  rolls  of  engravings,  and  some  are  fitted  into 
frames.  At  the  end  of  the  room  is  a  small  circular  saw  driven  by 
the  foot,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  shop  a  good  stock  of 
moldings  are  arranged  on  bars  let  into  the  wall.  We  see  four 
or  five  sizes  and  qualities  of  O.  G.  maple,  a  variety  of  patterns  of 
inside  slipping,  beads,  Ac.,  in  German  moldings,  and  a  good 
stock  of  moldings  in  the  white  ready  to  be  joined  before  going 
to  the  gilder  ;  also  gold  moldings  packed  in  white  paper. 

In  a  room  adjoining  this  shop  a  man  is  seen  busily  employed 
packing  a  lot  of  pictures  in  cases  ready  to  be  sent  out.  The  oc¬ 
cupations  of  the  men  are  various,  and  a  division  of  labor  seems 
to  be  the  order  of  the  day,  as  we  see  one  actively  employed  in 
joining  a  large  lot  of  maple  frames  with  a  large  number  down  by 
his  side  ;  another  is  “shooting”  the  moulding,  while  a  third  is 
cutting  up  mouldings.  But  we  see  a  man  in  the  center  of  the 
shop  looking  over  a  book,  and  as  he  has  a  good  natured  open 
countenance  we  will  draw  near  and  see  what  he  will  say  to  us  in 
answer  to  inquiries  as  to  what  his  occupation  generally  is.  He 
informs  us  that  he  is  constantly  employed  in  “fitting  up  ”  all  the 
best  of  the  miscellaneous  work,  and  that  in  consequence  of  his 
work  requiring  great  care  he  does  not  get  through  so  much.  He 
fits  up  the  gold  frames  finished  in  the  gilder’s  shop  with  expens¬ 
ive  chromos,  proof  engraving,  oleographs,  and  oil  paintings ;  he 
also  fits  up  the  best  work  in  water-color  drawings,  and  is  trusted 
with  proofs  and  pictures  to  mount. 

He  informed  us  that  he  was  called  a  “  fitter-up,”  and  that  it 
was  not  his  work  to  make  frames,  although  he  might  be  able  to 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


115 


do  it,  and  as  he  had  satisfied  himself  as  to  the  work  in  hand,  he 
was  about  to  hand  the  book  over  to  a  man  in  another  room  who 
did  “mitering-up,”  and  he  offered  to  show  us  the  way. 

Our  friend,  the  “fitter-up,”  not  aware  we  had  been  engaged 
for  a  number  of  years  in  gilding  and  in  a  fine  art  repository,  so 
treated  us  to  a  sight  of  some  of  the  best  chromos  he  was  fitting  up, 
little  thinking  they  were  old  acquaintances,  and  that  we  had  times 
before  taken  a  pride  in  turning  them  out  as  he  would  do — first 
class. 

We  were  received  by  the  man  about  to  execute  the  orders  in  the 
book,  with  civility,  and  as  we  stayed  with  him  some  time  we 
will  describe  the  execution  of  the  work  required. 

As  “Frith’s  Derby  Day,”  was  wanted  at  once,  he  set  to  work 
to  cut  out  out  the  best  O.  O.  G.  maple,  with  a  broad  gold  flat  and 
hollow  inside  and  the  picture  mounted  on  a  stretcher.  The  sight- 
edge  of  the  inside  gold,  to  allow  of  the  requsite  margin,  must  be 
57|  by  29,  and  unpapering  some  broad  gold,  flat  and  hollow,  he 
carefully  cut  out  on  the  saw  block  four  pieces  a  little  longer  than 
the  required  length  to  allow  of  “shooting.”  He  next  selected 
some  of  the  best  maple,  O.  O.  G.,  and  cut  one  end  off  on  the  saw 
block  to  the  required  angle.  He  next  took  one  of  the  pieces  of 
gold  flat  and  hollow,  and  placed  it  on  the  rabbet  of  the  maple,  and 
marked  the  length  a  little  beyond  the  gold  flat,  and  cut  of  the 
length.  This  he  did  with  the  three  other  sides.  The  “shooting 
board”  was  next  required,  when  he  placed  the  first  maple  in 
position,  and  with  his  plane,  which  had  a  good  edge,  took  off 
enough  to  secure  a  good  surface,  and  in  the  next  place  a  clean  top 
edge  to  the  moldings.  The  next  piece  selected  for  the  same  ope¬ 
ration  was  the  piece  corresponding  in  length,  and  after  planing 
to  his  satisfaction,  he  measured  the  two  pieces  by  putting  the  two 
sight  edges  together  and  making  them  exactly  of  a  length. 

Before  shooting  the  gold  flat  and  hollow,  he  said  he  should  put 
the  maple  together  so  that  he  could  more  easily  make  the  miters 
in  both  to  run  straight, 

Taking  the  four  pieces  of  molding,  he  went  to  the  bench  vise 
and  fastened^  one  of  the  long  pieces  therein  with  the  rabbet  out¬ 
side,  and  the  right  hand  very  near  the  jaws  of  the  vise.  He  next 
took  up  one  of  the  short  lengths  on  the  left  hand,  and  placed  the 
two  ends  together.  The  two  pieces  were  not  placed  exactly  to¬ 
gether,  but  the  piece  in  the  left  hand  was  brought  back  from  the 
sight  edge  about  one-twentieth  of  an  inch-  When  he  had  sat¬ 
isfied  himself  as  to  the  exact  position,  holding  the  two  tightly  to¬ 
gether,  he,  with  a  bradawl,  decisively  made  a  hole  longenoughto 
go  into  the  molding  in  the  vise. 

When  this  was  done  he  enlarged  the  hole  in  the  piece  he  held 


116 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


by  a  gimlet,  so  that  the  size  cut  brads  would  drive  easily  through 
it  without  much  friction  or  danger  of  splitting  the  wood.  A  little 
thin  glue  was  then  applied  and  the  molding  placed  together  as 
before,  holding  it  very  tightly  together,  when  a  brad  of  the  re¬ 
quisite  length,  about  2^  inches  long,  was  inserted  and  driven 
home.  In  driving  home  the  brad  the  molding  held  by  the  hand 
was  found  to  have  moved  forward  a  very  little  by  the  force  of 
the  blows,  and  thus  a  capital  miter  was  made  ;  a  second  brad  was 
then  driven  home  and  both  punched  below  the  surface.  Had  the 
brad  been  driven  home  with  the  moldings  exactly  level  this  would 
not  have  been  the  case. 

The  other  two  pieces  were  then  joined  in  the  same  way. 

Two  miters  having  been  made,  two  more  remained  to  be  put 
together.  He  then  took  one-half  of  the  frame  and  fastened  it  in 
the  vice  near  one  of  the  unmitered  ends,  and  with  the  assistance 
of  a  lad  on  the  other  side  of  the  bench  he  brought  the  two  joined 
pieces  together  in  their  proper  places,  and  with  the  bradawl  and 
gimlet  made  the  hole  as  above  described  ;  he  then  took  the  half 


Fig.  9. — Fitting  the  Frame  Together. 

out  of  the  vice  and  put  in  the  other  half  in  the  same  way  and 
made  the  hole  in  the  fourth  miter.  He  next  glued  the  two  ends 
of  the  piece  out  of  the  vice,  and  with  the  help  of  the  lad  brought 
the  two  halves  together,  and  quickly  and  steadily  drove  home  the 
brad.  The  frame  was  then  taken  out  of  the  vise,  and  the  other 
miter  attended  to  in  the  same  way  and  a  second  brad  inserted, 
and  the  two  punched  below  the  surface.  The  frame  was  aga;a 


THE  GILDER’8  MANUAL. 


11? 


put  in  the  vice  for  the  third  miter  to  have  a  second  brad  driven 
in,  when  both  was  punched  below  the  surface,  and  the  frame  was 
iound  to  be  well  and  neatly  put  together.  Rather  thin  glue  was 
used,  and  he  was  careful  not  to  put  too  much  on,  so  that  it  woul'? 
appear  on  the  top  of  the  miters. 

Sometimes  with  O.  G.  maple  the  lengths  are  found  to  be  warp 
ed,  and  when  cut  into  the  required  lengths  by  the  picture  framt 
makei  and  made  up,  the  frame  is  found  to  be  twisted  and  th€ 
miters  bad.  Moldings  should  be  kept  flat  before  they  are  used. 

Having  so  far  completed  the  maple  frame,  he  at  once  proceeded 
to  miter  up  the  inside  gold  flat.  Before  taking  it  in  hand  he  put 
on  his  left  hand  a  glove  made  of  chamois  leather,  explaining  at 
the  same  time  that  in  shooting  and  mitering  up  gold  moldings, 
some  of  which  were  gilt  down  to  the  back  edge,  it  was  necessary 
,o  protect  the  gold  from  the  heat  of  the  hand,  as  inattention  to 
this  would  be  sure  to  damage  a  frame  which  was  expected  to  be 
turned  out  in  the  best  manner.  He  said  also  that  a  piece  of  soft 
cloth  was  glued  down  on  the  shooting  board  to  prevent  any 
scratches  on  the  gold,  and  that  he  was  particular  to  keep  it  free 
!rom  shavings  and  grit. 

After  seeing  to  his  plane-iron,  the  gold  flat  was  soon  ready  for 
inhering,  and  it  was  noticeable  that  he  was  very  particular  to  get 
the  length  of  the  pieces  so  that  the  frame  would  just  take  half  of 
the  rabbet,  and  the  miters  by  that  means  would  range  exactly. 
With  his  left  hand  still  covered  by  a  glove,  he  handled  the  mold 
ing  and  mitered  it  up  in  the  same  way  as  before  mentioned  for  the 
maple  frame,  and  when  completed  the  miters  looked  like  a  hair. 

He  next  took  the  rabbet  measure  of  the  frame  just  mitered,  and 
at  once  proceeded  to  cut  out  a  stretcher  from  a  large  number  of 
lengths  of  pine  cut  ready  for  the  purpose. 

In  marking  out  the  stuff  for  the  stretcher  he  explained  that 
there  was  no  waste  as  in  an  ordinary  molding,  as  the  length  was 
cut  from  one  side  and  the  other,  avoiding  the  cutting  out  of  the 
triangular  piece  necessary  to  make  the  miter.  He  also  informed 
us  that  he  knew  it  was  the  fashion  in  many  country  shops  to  make 
a  stretcher  by  halving  it  together,  but  that  a  mitered  stretcher 
was  stronger,  more  expeditiously  made,  and  was  much  neater 
than  those  made  in  such  a  way. 

He  then  “shot"  the  lengths  as  usual,  and  soon  put  them  to¬ 
gether  in  the  vise  as  before  described,  not  troubling  to  put  any 
slips  into  the  vise  to  protect  the  pieces,  and  fitted  it  into  its  place 
in  the  rabbet  of  the  gold  flat. 

The  three  frames  placed  one  in  the  other  was  ready  to  go  in  to 
the  fitter  up. 

When  gold  moldings  are  mitered  down  the  back  edge,  it  will 


118 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


be  necessary  to  lay  in  the  vise  some  slips  of  wood  covered  with 
cloth  to  prevent  marking  the  molding. 

We  have  described  mitering  up  a  large  frame,  but  smaller  ones 
will  not  require  the  gimlet  to  be  used  before  joining,  as  there  is 
not  the  danger  of  the  molding  splitting  where  small  brads  are 
used. 

Gilt  slipping  or  inside  edging  for  the  inside  of  the  maple,  rose¬ 
wood,  oak,  or  other  frames,  requires  care  in  mitering  up,  owing 
to  the  thinness  of  the  wood.  In  mitering  sometimes  the  wood 
will  split,  therefore  the  brads  selected  must  not  be  too  large,  and 
the  mitered  pieces  must  be  handled  tenderly  till  the  glue  is 
dry.  Where  it  is  twisted  or  warped  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  make  a  neat  miter,  which  is  often  the  case  with  German 
moldings. 

MOUNTING  PICTURES. 

A  picture  badly  mounted  is  oftentimes  a  source  of  annoyance 
to  its  possessor,  and  spoils  what  might  be  otherwise  a  good  sub¬ 
ject.  A  picture  of  little  value,  if  neatly  mounted,  really  looks 
superior  to  one  of  greater  value  where  little  care  has  bee£  be¬ 
stowed  upon  it. 

Engravings,  chromos,  photographs,  oleographs,  each  require  to 
be  treated  in  a  different  manner,  and  we  will  describe  what  should 
be  done  to  make  them  look  well  and  preserve  them  in  good  con¬ 
dition  for  a  great  length  of  time. 

ENGRAVINGS. 

If  it  is  an  ordinary  engraving  it  is  best  to  prepare  a  stretcher 
as  before  recommended,  by  mitering  up,  and  stretch  evenly 
thereon  a  piece  of  muslin  by  means  of  tacks  round  the  edge.  The 
tacks  should  not  be  too  wide  apart  or  the  calico  will  not  be  so 
firm. 

The  engraving  is  laid  on  the  bench  face  uppermost,  and  the 
edge  of  the  stretcher  laid  across  it  from  edge  of  the  picture,  when, 
with  a  rule,  the  width  of  both  margins  can  be  ascertained.  By 
halving  this  the  exact  width  of  margin  can  be  seen,  and  marking 
the  picture  in  two  places  on  each  side  a  straight  edge  can  be  used 
and  a  line  drawn  where  the  picture  must  be  cut.  The  margin 
on  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  engraving  can  be  easily  decided,  as 
the  top  must  be  measured  oil  the  same  width  as  the  sides,  and  the 
bottom  can  be  marked  by  putting  the  edge  of  the  stretcher  on  the 
top  line  and  marking  the  picture  by  the  other  edge  of  the  stretcher. 
The  engraving  when  cut,  is  just  the  size  of  the  stretcher. 

On  a  good  smooth  surface,  sheets  of  clean  paper  should  be 
laid,  and  the  engraving  turned  over  on  its  face.  With  a  clean 


THE  GILDER'S  MANUAL. 


119 


sponge  and  water  go  over  the  back  of  the  picture  till  it  has  ab 
sorbed  almost  as  much  water  as  it  will  take,  when,  after  lying  in 
the  water  a  short  time  a  good  coat  of  paste  must  be  laid  on  very 
evenly,  taking  care  that  it  contains  no  particles  of  grit  The 
stretcher  must  be  evenly  laid  on  and  well  rubbed  down  by  the 
hand  over  the  muslin  at  the  back  of  the  stretcher.  The  picture 
now  on  the  stretcher  can  be  turned  up,  and  with  a  clean  sheet 
of  paper  in  the  left  hand  laid  on  the  outsides  of  the  picture,  rub 
well  down  on  the  stretcher. 

Should  there  be  any  grit  under  the  picture,  which  will  be  easily 
seen  by  the  unevenness  of  the  surface,  it  would  be  advisable  to 
pull  up  the  picture  from  one  corner  and  remove  it.  If  there  is 
any  dirt  on  the  margin  now  is  the  time  to  remove  it  by  applying 
the  sponge  with  clean  water,  or  it  will  not  be  removable  when 
dry.  Stains  must  be  removed  before  mounting.  The  franpn 
should  be  ready  to  receive  the  stretcher,  and  it  should  at  once  do 
tacked  in  and  stood  up  to  dry.  If  not  tacked  into  the  frame  the 
stretcher  will  twist  with  the  drying  of  the  picture,  which  tacking 
in  the  frame  prevents. 

Should  the  engraving  be  on  India  paper  it  will  not  be  advisa¬ 
ble  to  damp  it  so  much  nor  let  it  lie  in  the  paste,  but  proceed  as 
quickly  as  possible,  as  the  India  paper  sometimes  comes  up, 
when  it  is  a  difficult  matter  to  lay  it  again  properly. 

Many  other  pictures  are  mounted  in  the  same  manner  as  before 
mentioned,  but  where  it  is  an  old  engraving,  stained  and  discol 
ored,  it  will  be  necessary  to  clean  it  before  mounting. 

Where  gilt  slipping  is  laid  in  a  maple  or  other  wood  frame,  the 
stretcher  may  be  omitted  by  mounting  the  picture  on  the  inside 
slipping  in  the  following  manner  : — The  picture  must  be  well 
damped  with  a  sponge  and  clean  water.  The  frame  made  of 
slipping  must  be  well  glass-papered  down,  and  glued  and  laid  on 
the  picture  in  its  proper  place  and  well  rubbed  down.  When 
dry  it  will  be  found  to  be  well  stretched,  and  the  gilt  will  go 
under  the  glass.  It  should  be  tacked  in  the  frame  to  dry,  and 
when  fitted  up  a  backboard  used.  This  method  is  not  suitable 
for  large  pictures. 

PROOFS. 

Sometimes  valuable  artist  proof  pictures  come  into  the  hand9 
of  the  picture  frame  maker,  with  special  directions  as  to  their 
mounting,  &c.,  as  many  gentlemen  are  most  particular  not  to 
allow  the  fine  lines  of  the  engraving  to  be  touched,  and  on  no 
account  to  be  pasted  on  the  back. 

When  this  is  the  case  the  proof  must  be  carefully  measured 
up  for  the  stretcher  as  before  mentioned,  and  marked  on  the  back. 


120 


THE  GILDER^  MANUAL. 


but  not  cut.  It  must  then  be  turned  on  its  face  on  soft  tissue 
paper,  and  moderately  damped  with  clean  sponge  and  water. 
The  stretcher,  covered  with  paper,  must  now  be  laid  on  the  back 
of  the  proof  in  the  place  whero  it  is  meant  to  bo  mounted,  and 
the  outside  edges  must  be  glued  and  turned  over  on  to  the  back 
of  the  stretcher,  and  well  nibbed  down  and  tacked  into  tne 
frame.  It  will  dry,  and  present  a  well-stretched  picture,  and  the 
paper  used  will  prevent  the  wood  of  the  stretcher  from  staining 
a  valuable  picture,  and  keep  the  dust  from  the  back.  If  it  is  im¬ 
portant  that  the  proof  should  not  touch  the  glass  it  will  be  nec¬ 
essary  to  have  two  rabbets  to  the  frame — one  for  the  glass  and 
the  other  for  the  picture. 

PHOTOGRAPHS. 

Photographs  are  usually  mounted  on  card-board,  and  the  great 
fault  is  that  the  majority  are  on  thin  board,  and  through  bad 
mounting  the  picture  is  pulled  out  of  shape,  and  it  is  difficult  to 
fit  it  upon  the  frame  to  present  a  workman-like  appearance. 

The  photograph  should  first  be  squared  up  by  cutting  the  cages 
with  a  sharp  knife  guided  by  a  straight-edge,  when  it  should  be 
put  into  clean  water  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  laid  between  blotting 
paper  for  a  short  time  before  mounting.  Some  thin  starch  should 
then  be  made  and  brushed  over  the  back  of  the  photogragh  very 
evenly,  which  is  then  laid  on  the  board  so  as  to  give  equal  margin. 
After  well  rubbing  down  with  a  sheet  of  paper  it  should  be  laid 
in  a  press  or  under  weight  to  dry.  If  it  is  required  to  mount  a 
picture  with  cold  starch  it  will  be  found  to  roll  under  the  brush, 
and  the  fingers  of  the  right  hand  will  best  rub  on  an  even  coat. 

Where  a  cut  mount  is  ordered  tiie  photograph  may  be  mounted 
on  cardboard  a  little  larger  than  the  picture,  placed  behind  the 
cut  out  mount  and  pasted  in  its  place. 

WATER  COLORS  AND  CHROMOS. 

Water  colors  require  careful  treatment,  as  it  is  not  advisable  to 
make  them  wet  by  paste,  or  the  colors  may  be  affected.  After 
careful  squaring  up,  the  edges  should  be  gone  over  with  thin 
glue,  and  laid  in  its  place  on  the  mounting  board.  If  a  cut  out 
mount  is  required  it  must  be  placed  in  front  of  the  mounted 
water  color. 

Chromo  lithographs  do  not  require  the  care  advisable  for  water 
colors  ;  the  colors  on  the  picture  being  oil,  will  not  readily  be  dis¬ 
turbed.  They  may  be  mounted  with  thick  paste  and  laid  under 
pressure,  and  if  a  cut  out  mount  is  necessary  the  mounted  picture 
must  bo  pasted  in  its  place  at  the  back  of  it.  The  edges  of  the 
fron4  card  are  cut  slanting  toward  the  picture,  and  may  be  brushed 


THE  GILDER*8  MAtftTAL.  121 

with  gold  size  rather  thin  and  real  gold  powder  or  gcod  bronze 
put  on  with  good  effect. 


OLEOGRAPHS. 

Oleographs  are  pictures  printed  in  oil  color  to  represent  oil 
paintings,  and  are  mounted  in  the  following  manner.  A  stretcher 
is  made  the  size  of  the  picture  with  wedges  at  the  corners  as  oil 
paintings.  It  is  then  covered  with  a  smooth  stout  canvas  or  un¬ 
bleached  Holland,  when  the  picture  receives  a  coat  of  thin  glue, 
the  stretcher  is  laid  on  the  picture  and  well  rubbed  down  and  left 
to  dry.  The  stretchers  should  be  stouter  than  ordinary  as  they 
require  to  be  strong.  After  the  picture  is  dry  two  coats  of  parch¬ 
ment  size  is  laid  on  and  then  varnished  with  mastic. 

These  pictures  are  sometimes  mounted  as  chromos  with  margin, 
and  many  subjects  look  very  well. 

MAP8. 

Good  muslin  or  fine  canvas  must  be  strained  on  a  smooth  clean 
board  by  tacks,  and  the  map  damped  with  a  clean  sponge  on  its 
back,  and  then  well  pasted,  taking  care  that  the  edges  are  weL 
Baturated.  The  map  must  then  be  laid  on  the  canvas,  a  sheet  of 
paper  on  the  top,  and  well  rubbed  down  ;  when  dry  two  coats  of 
parchment  size  must  be  laid  on,  and  one  or  two  coats  of  paper 
varnish.  When  thoroughly  dry  the  tacks  may  be  taken  out  and 
ihe  maps  squared  up  with  a  straight-edge  and  knife,  enough  can¬ 
vas  being  left  on  the  top  and  bottom  to  attach  to  rollers.  The 
sides  are  then  bound  with  silk  ribbon  and  the  bottom  tacked  on 
to  a  roller,  while  on  the  top  a  moulding  is  usually  secured. 
Sometimes  the  roller  is  cut  in  half  and  the  map  secured  between 
by  screws  at  the  back. 

Where  the  map  is  in  several  sheets  they  must  be  carefully  joined 
in  mounting,  and  edges  well  rubbed  down,  or  the  varnish  may 
get  under  and  stain  the  paper. 

MARGIN,  MOUNTS,  PITTING  UP,  ETC. 

There  has  hitherto  been  no  rule  for  the  width  of  margin  on 
pictures,  but  it  is  usual  to  give  a  good  broad  margin  to  a  valua¬ 
ble  work  of  art,  such  as  water  colors,  chromos,  proof  engravings, 
and  even  photographs  looks  best  with  a  good  margin.  We  have 
seen  pictures  framed  with  narrow  margins  according  to  the  whim 
of  their  owner,  and  it  has  very  much  taken  away  from  their  ap¬ 
pearance  when  framed.  Commou  pictures  or  pictures  of  but  lit¬ 
tle  value  do  not  require  wide  margins,  and  in  measuring  up  pic 
lures  for  framing  this  should  be  borne  in  mind.  Engravings  with 


122 


THE  GILDER^  MANUAL. 


India  paper  are  usually  measured  for  a  margin  beyond,  and  where 
there  is  no  India  paper  the  picture  is  measured  for  the  top  and 
two  sides  to  be  equal,  and  the  bottom  margin  considerably  more 
to  allow  for  the  title.  The  plate  mark  on  the  picture  sometimes 
is  a  guide.  Large  subjects  require  broader  margins  than  sma.l 
ones. 

Water  colors  and  chromos  can  be  measured  up  for  equal  mar 
gin  all  round,  as  also  photographs  if  the  margin  is  wide,  but 
should  it  be  narrow  a  little  deeper  margin  may  be  left  at  the 
bottom. 

There  is  a  circumstance  which  sometimes  decides  the  width  of 
margin  at  the  bottom  of  the  subject,  and  that  is  if  the  picture 
measures  nearly  square  it  is  measured  up  so  as  to  bring  the  frame 
a  little  longer,  as  many  dislike  a  square  frame. 

MOUNTING  BOARDS  AND  MOUNTS. 

Mounting  and  card  board  may  be  had  almost  any  size  and 
quality.  Mounting  boards,  technically  so  called,  are  commoner 
than  card  boards,  as  they  will  be  found  on  examination  to  hare 
an  inferior  brown  paper  for  the  inside  of  the  board,  while  the 
cardboards  are  white  throughout  and  a  whiter  and  better  surface, 
Cut  out  mounts  are  usually  made  of  the  latter. 

Mounts,  with  or  without  gold  line  and  bevel,  may  be  had  of 
any  size,  quality,  or  pattern.  Sizes  suitable  for  photographs  are 
often  required. 

CLEANING  ENGRAVINGS. 

The  frame-maker,  in  receiving  orders  for  frames,  is  sometimes 
tequired  to  clean  the  engravings  before  putting  them  into  the 
frame.  Valuable  old  pictures  are  often  discolored  with  age, 
smoke,  dirt  and  dust,  so  that  the  title  is  scarcely  legible,  and  the 
picture  lost  in  the  stained  condition  of  the  paper.  A  method 
thiit  will  be  effective  and  still  preserve  the  lines  of  the  engraving 
perfect,  will  prove  valuable  when  it  is  required. 

The  engraving  must  be  laid  down  on  a  smooth  board,  with  a 
clean  sheet  of  paper  underneath,  and  with  a  clean  sponge  and 
water  carefully  wet  the  picture  on  both  sides,  and  then  saturate 
it  well  with  a  soft  sponge  with  the  following  mixture:  ^  lb. 
chloride  of  lime,  2  oz.  oxalic  acid,  1  quart  of  water. 

The  above  will  be  known  to  be  the  right  strength  by  its  turn¬ 
ing  a  magenta  color. 

The  application  must  continue  as  long  as  there  is  any  stain  to 
come  out,  and  then  sponged  freely  both  sides  with  clean  water. 
We  have  cleaned  engravings  so  stained  and  yellow  that  the  pic¬ 
ture  could  scarcely  be  distinguished.  The  paper  looked  an  clean 


THE  gilder’s  manual.  123 

as  when  it  was  made,  and  the  engraving  stood  out  brilliant  on  its 
new  back  ground. 

We  must  caution  those  who  try  this  receipt  not  on  any  account 
to  use  it  on  water  color  drawing  or  prints  that  have  been  colored 
with  water  color,  as  in  the  first  instance  a  clean  sheet  of  paper 
would  be  left  plain.  This  receipt  will  not  touch  any  color  that 
has  been  mixed  with  oil,  as  is  the  case  with  the  ink  the  picture 
is  printed  with.  The  above  receipt  loses  its  virtue  when  it  has 
been  made  some  time. 

FITTING-UP. 

A  picture  badly  fitted  up  will  get  discolored  with  the  air  and 
dust,  and  will  not  look  so  well  as  if  a  little  more  care  and  time 
had  been  spent  upon  it. 

When  the  frame  is  made  and  the  picture  mounted  it  is  ready 
.'or  fitting  up,  when  the  glass  must  be  cut,  care  being  taken  to 
select  a  piece  free  from  defects. 

Cutting  glass  is  easily  accomplished  with  a  little  practice,  but 
some  of  the  foreign  is  brittle,  and  will  sometimes  crack  across 
the  pane  instead  of  the  cut.  The  modus  operandi  is  as  follows  . 
A  large  pane  is  placed  on  the  board  covered  with  green  baize, 
md  looked  over  to  see  there  are  no  defects,  when  the  frame  is 
measured  and  the  the  straight-edge  is  place  1  on  the  glass,  making 
due  allowance  for  the  room  the  diamond  takes  up  in  cutting. 
A  steady  cut  is  given,  holding  it  between  the  first  and  second 
fingers  of  the  right  hand,  and  keeping  it  inclined  toward  the 
arm.  Then  if  it  is  a  long  cut  on  a  large  piece  of  glass  the  best 
way  will  be  to  bring  the  cut  to  the  edge  of  the  board,  and  with 
a  steady  downward  jern  of  the  piece  in  hand  (if  the  cut  has  been 
perfect)  the  glass  will  part  evenly.  With  smaller  pieces  it  will 
part  by  holding  the  glass  with  the  finger  and  thumb  of  each 
hand  on  each  side  of  the  cut,  and  using  a  little  downward  force. 

When  the  pane  has  been  cut  the  required  size  it  must  be  well 
cleaned  both  sides  with  whitening,  and  fastened  into  the  frame 
by  pasting  strips  of  paper  and  laying  them  in  so  that  one  half  lies 
on  the  glass  and  the  other  on  the  side  of  the  rabbet  but  not  to 
show  in  front  of  course.  When  this  is  dry  it  will  be  firm  and  no 
dust  can  get  in.  The  picture  is  then  cut  to  the  required  size,  at¬ 
tention  being  given  that  the  margin  is  right  all  the  way  round. 
As  this  is  a  matter  of  some  little  difficulty  to  the  amateur  we  will 
just  say  it  can  be  quickly  done  by  measuring  the  inside  of  the 
frame  and  then  by  putting  the  rule  across  the  picture  you  will 
gee  how  much  the  margin  on  the  two  sides  measure,  when  by 
taking  one-half  and  marking  it  off  on  the  picture  and  drawing  a 
line  across  as  a  guide  for  cutting,  the  margin  will  be  found  to  be 


124 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


equal.  The  picture  must  be  measured  in  the  dame  way  for  the 
two  other  margins.  When  it  is  cut  it  will  be  found  to  go  into 
the  frame  exact  with  the  margin  correct.  If,  on  measurement,  it 
should  be  found  a  little  out,  a  strip  cut  from  the  opposite  side 
where  the  margin  is  narrow  will  rectify  the  error. 

If  it  is  a  medium-sized  picture  a  back-board  will  fasten  it  in. 
Back-boards  can  be  had  of  any  thickness.  The  back-board  is 
cut  to  the  required  size,  and  if  not  wide  enough  is  glued  up  with 
a  piece  of  the  required  size,  and,  when  dry,  it  is  planed  up  and 
outside  edges  beveled. 

Now  that  the  glass  is  pasted  in,  the  picture  cut  to  the  proper 
size,  and  the  back -board  ready,  it  can  be  bradded  in,  but  before 
this  is  done  it  will  be  necessary  to  see  that  the  glass  is  quite  clean 
on  the  inside,  that  no  dust  or  small  particle  of  wood  is  between 
the  glass  and  the  picture,  and  also  that  the  picture  is  laid  in  its 
proper  place,  when  the  back  can  be  put  in  and  bradded  up.  It 
is  advisable  to  put  two  or  three  brads  in  each  side,  and  then  satisfy 
yourself  by  inspection  that  everything  is  right,  or  you  may  have 
to  take  out  the  whole  of  the  brads  again  to  remove  a  particle  of 
dust  or  shaving. 

The  picture  must  now  be  backed  up  with  brown  paper,  or  nar¬ 
row  slips  pasted  round  the  edge  of  the  back. 

If  it  is  to  be  backed  up  with  brown  paper  the  sheet  must  be 
cut  the  size  required  and  damped  with  a  wet  sponge.  The  back 
edge  of  the  frame  must  be  thinly  glued  and  the  paper  at  once 
strained  on.  This  will  strengthen  the  frame,  keep  the  dust  out, 
and  perhaps  hide  a  back-board  not  very  smooth. 

Strips  of  colored  paper  look  clean  pasted  round  when  a  smooth 
back-board  is  in  the  frame.  Where  stretchers  are  used  they  are 
backed  up  in  both  ways,  according  to  fancy. 

If  it  is  a  large  picture  on  mounting  board  a  panneled  back-board 
would  be  desirable. 

In  fitting  up  maple  and  gold  frames,  the  inside  gold  must  bo 
blocked  in  tight,  and  when  the  gold  is  ordered  under  the  glass, 
the  glass  must  first  be  cut.  The  stretcher  with  the  mounted  pic¬ 
ture  will  be  bradded  in  last,  and  the  back  papered  up.  With 
maple,  rosewood,  or  any  French-polished  frames,  it  is  necessary 
to  clean  them  down  with  a  reviver  before  sending  them  out,  as  in 
handling  the  molding  it  becomes  dull.  Receipts  will  be  found 
at  the  end  of  this  volume. 

OXFORD  FRAMES. 

These  frames  have  become  favorites  within  the  last  few  years. 
They  are  made  of  oak  with  cross  corners  and  are  got  up  in  fancy 
patterns,  some  of  whieh  are  finished  with  ulti amarine  on  the 


the  gilder’s  manual.  125 

bevels.  They  can  be  had  of  the  wholesale  houses  of  assorted 
sizes. 

They  should  be  rubbed  over  with  linseed  oil,  which  will  ffive 
the  wood  a  richer  appearance. 

FRENCH  POLISHING  AND  VARNISHING. 

Frames  made  to  order,  of  oak  and  other  wood,  require  French 
polishing  or  varnishing,  when  it  will  be  convenient  to  know  how 
to  lay  on  a  lasting  and  brilliant  polish.  The  following  precise 
directions,  if  followed,  will  give  a  satisfactory  result. 

FRENCH  POLISHING. 

The  mode  of  application  necessary  for  French  polish  differs 
from  that  of  ordinary  varnishes,  being  effected  by  rubbing  it  with 
a  fine  cloth  upon  the  surface  of  the  material  to  be  polished  and 
using  oil  and  spirits  of  wine  during  the  process.  In  applying  it 
to  large  surfaces  use  a  rubber  formed  of  aflat  coil  of  thick  woolen 
cloth,  such  as  drugget,  &c. ,  which  may  be  torn  off  the  piece  in 
order  that  the  surface  of  the  rubber,  which  is  made  of  the  torn 
edge  of  the  cloth, may  be  soft  and  pliant,  and  not  hard  and  stiff  as 
would  be  the  case  were  it  to  be  cut  off,  and  therefore  be  liable  to 
scratch  the  soft  surface  of  the  varnish.  This  rubber  is  to  be  se¬ 
curely  bound  with  thread  to  prevent  it  from  uncoiling  when  it  is 
used,  and  it  may  vary  in  its  size  from  one  to  three  inches  in 
diameter  and  from  one  to  two  inches  in  thicknes,  according  U 
the  extent  of  the  surface  to  be  varnished.  The  varnish  is  to  be 
applied  to  the  middle  of  the  flat  face  of  the  rubber  by  shaking  up 
the  bottle  containing  it  against  the  rubber  ;  it  will  absorb  a  con¬ 
siderable  quantity  and  will  continue  to  supply  it  equally  and  in 
due  proportion  to  the  surface  which  is  undergoing  the  process  of 
polishing.  The  face  of  the  rubber  must  next  be  covered  by  a  soft 
linen  cloth  doubled,  the  remainder  of  the  cloth  being  gathered 
together  at  the  back  of  the  rubber  to  form  a  handle  to  hold  it  by, 
and  the  face  of  the  cloth  must  be  moistened  with  a  little  raw  lin¬ 
seed  oil  applied  upon  the  finger  to  the  middle  of  it,  and  the  ope¬ 
ration  be  commenced  by  quickly  and  lightly  rubbing  the  surface 
of  the  article  to  be  polished  in  a  constant  succession  of  small  cir¬ 
cular  strokes,  if  a  flat  surface,  but  if  a  molded  face  a  light  back 
and  forward  stroke  without  lifting  the  hand  will  answer,  and  the 
operation  must  be  confined  to  a  space  of  not  more  than  ten  or 
twelve  inches  square  until  such  space  is  finished,  when  an  adjoin¬ 
ing  one  may  be  commenced  and  united  with  the  first,  and  so  on 
until  the  whole  surface  is  covered.  The  varnish  is  enclosed  by 
WlQ  double  fold  of  cloth,  which  by  absorption,  becomes  merely 


126 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


moistened  with  it,  and  the  rubbing  of  each  piece  must  be  con 
tinued  until  it  becomes  nearly  dry.  The  rubber  may,  for  a 
second  coat,  be  wetted  with  varnish  without  the  oil,  and  applied 
as  before.  A  third  coat  may  also  be  given  in  the  same  manner  ; 
then  a  fourth  with  a  little  oil,  which  must  be  folio  ived  as  before, 
with  two  others  without  oil  ;  and  thus  proceeding  until  the  var¬ 
nish  acquires  some  thickness,  which  will  be  after  a  few  repetitions, 
find  depends  on  the  care  that  has  been  taken  in  finishing  the  sur- 
lace.  Then  a  little  spirits  of  wine  may  be  applied  to  the  inside  of 
the  rubber  after  wetting  it  with  the  varnish  and  being  covered 
with  the  linen  as  before  ;  it  must  be  very  quickly  and  uniformly 
rubbed  over  every  part  of  the  surface  ;  this  tends  to  make  it  even, 
and  very  much  conduces  to  its  polish.  The  cloth  must  next  be 
wetted  with  a  little  spirits  of  wine  and  oil  without  varnish,  and 
the  surface  being  rubbed  over,  with  the  precautions  last  men¬ 
tioned,  until  it  is  nearly  dry,  the  effect  of  the  operation  will  be 
seen,  and  if  it  be  found  that  it  is  not  complete  the  process  must  be 
continued,  with  the  introduction  of  spirits  of  wine  in  its  turn  as 
directed,  until  the  surface  becomes  uniformly  smooth  and  beauti¬ 
fully  polished.  The  work  to  be  polished  should  be  placed  oppo¬ 
site  the  light  in  order  that  the  effect  of  the  polishing  may  be  better 
seen.  In  this  manner  a  surface  from  one  to  eight  feet  square  may 
be  polished,  and  the  process,  instead  of  being  limited  to  the  polish 
ing  of  rich  cabinets  or  other  smaller  works,  can  now  be  applied 
to  tables  and  other  large  pieces  of  furniture  with  very  great  ad¬ 
vantages  over  the  common  method  of  polishing  with  wax,  oils. 
&c.  In  some  cases  it  is  considered  preferable  to  rub  the  wooa 
over  with  a  little  oil  applied  on  a  linen  cloth  before  begiuing  to 
polish,  but  the  propriety  of  this  method  is  very  much  doubted. 
When  the  color  of  the  wood  to  be  polished  is  dark  a  harder  polish 
may  be  made  by  making  the  composition  of  one  part  of  shellac 
and  eight  parts  of  spirits,  proceeding  as  before  directed.  For  work 
polished  by  the  French-polish,  the  recesses  or  carved  work,  or 
where  the  surfaces  are  not  liable  to  wear,  or  are  difficult  to  be  got 
at  with  the  rubber,  a  spirit  made  without  lac,  and  considerably 
thicker  than  that  used  in  the  foregoing  process,  may  be  applied 
to  those  parts  with  a  brush  or  hair  pencil,  as  is  commonly  done 
in  other  modes  of  varnishing.  French  polish  is  not  proper  for 
dining  tables  nor  for  anything  where  it  is  liable  to  be  partially  ex* 
posed  to  a  considerable  heat. 

STOPPING  FOR  FRENCH  POLISHING. 

Plaster-of-paris,  when  made  into  a  creamy  paste,  with  water, 
proves  a  most  valuable  pore-filling  material.  It  is  to  be  rubbed 


127 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 

by  means  of  a  coarse  rag  across  the  woody  fiber  into  the  holes 
and  pores  till  they  be  completely  saturated,  and  then  the  super¬ 
fluous  stucco  on  the  outside  is  to  be  instantly  wiped  olf.  The 
succeeding  processes  are  technically  termed  papering,  oiling,  and 
embodying. 

When  finely-pounded  whiting  is  mixed  with  painter’s  drying 
ail,  it  constitutes  another  good  pore-filler.  It  is  applied  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  preceding  one,  and  it  is  recommended  on 
account  of  its  quickly  hardening  and  tenacious  virtues  as  a  ce¬ 
ment  ;  sometimes  white  lead  is  used  in  lieu  of  whiting. 

Before  using  either  of  these,  or  other  compositions  for  the  same 
purpose,  it  is  best  to  tint  them  to  correspond  exactly  with  the 
color  of  the  article  it  is  intended  to  size. 

Holes  and  crevices  may  be  well  filled  up  with  a  cement  that  is 
made  by  melting  beeswax  in  combination  with  resin  and  shellac. 

v  AitNisnrx  g. 

Flat  camel’s  hair  or  hog’s  hair  brushes  are  generally  used  for 
varnishing,  and  usually  come  varying  in  width  one  to  four  inches. 
Turned  and  carved  work  require  small  tools  to  go  over  the  mem¬ 
bers  and  sweeps.  The  best  way  to  preserve  them  is  to  rinse  them 
after  use  in  spirits  of  turpentine,  wash  in  warm  soap-suds  and 
hang  them  up  in  a  dry  place  where  no  air  is  moving. 

Where  the  brushes  have  been  neglected  they  must  be  soaked 
in  varnish  for  an  hour  or  two,  but  if  wanted  immediately  they 
can  be  softened  in  turpentine.  For  fancy  work  a  good  sponge 
will  sometimes  be  found  preferable. 

The  varnish  dish  should  be  provided  with  a  closely-fitting  lid, 
and  a  wire  strained  across  the  dish  to  scrape  the  brush  over  when 
dipped,  or  too  much  will  be  laid  on. 

After  dipping,  the  brush  should  be  passed  over  the  wire,  and 
the  first  coat  may  be  laid  on  across  the  grain  of  the  wood  as  ^ 
evenly  as  possible,  but  in  the  finishing  the  varnish  must  be  laid 
on  with  the  grain.  The  tool  should  be  lightly  handled  and  not 
slowly  used,  as  some  varnishes  set  very  quickly.  Varnishcrs 
sometimes  make  a  ground  with  a  rubber  full  of  French  polish 
before  the  application  of  the  spirit  varnish.  The  rubber  must 
be  thoroughly  dry  before  the  application  of  the  varnish.  The 
last  coat  applied  should  stand  some  time  before  receiving  the 
fine  varnish.  It  should  be  finished  off  with  a  damp  rubber  The 
Above  will  give  brilliant  and  lasting  work. 

CHOICE  OF  IIAIU  TOOLS. 

Hound  and  flat  brushes  are  used,  but  the  flat  are  more  useful. 
They  should  be  neatly  made  and  yet  very  strong,  and  the  hall 


128 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


should  not  be  cut  at  the  points,  but  smooth  to  the  touch.  They 
should  also  be  very  elastic,  springing  back  to  their  shape  when 
in  use,  and  the  hair  should  be  silky- looking.  There  should  be  no 
diverging  hairs,  but  their  shape  should  be  wedge-like.  Polished 
cedar  handles  ensure  thorough  cleaning,  and  they  are  more  pleas 
ant  to  use. 

Sable  tools  should  come  to  a  firm  fine  point,  and  the  hair 
must  be  of  a  pale  yellow  cast.  They  can  be  had  both  flat  and 
round. 

Badger  tools  are  superior  when  the  hair  is  light,  long,  and 
pliant,  in  color  black  with  white  ends.  Instead  of  coming  to 
a  point  the  hairs  diverge.  They  seldom  want  cleaning  as  used 
by  gilders. 

RULES  FOR  POLISHING. 

Work  to  be  dusted  before  commencing. 

Every  embodying  must  be  allowed  a  proper  time  to  harden  and 
absorb  before  re-application  of  smoothing  stuffs  or  polishes. 

The  rubber  must  be  covered  with  a  clean  part  of  the  rag  at  each 
wetting. 

Rubbers  must  not  be  worked  too  long  in  the  same  direction, 
nor  heavily  laid  on  when  wet,  or  the  work  will  be  streaky. 

Marks  of  the  rubber  may  be  smoothed  by  working  in  an  oppo¬ 
site  direction  with  a  rubber  nearly  dry. 

Large  surfaces  should  not  be  gone  over  all  at  once. 

Fine  linen  makes  the  best  rubber  coverings.  Cheap  cotton  will 
do  as  well  after  washing. 

Carved  work  that  has  been  finely  varnished  presents  a  brilliant 
appearance  after  cleaning  with  an  oiled  flannel. 

The  only  fixed  oil  used  in  French  polishing  is  raw  linseed  oil. 

Polishing  rubbers  should  be  preserved  in  close  tin  canisters. 

Polishing  and  varnishing  should  be  performed  in  a  room,  the 
?  temperature  of  which  is  about  60  degrees  Fahrenheit,  and  it 
should  be  free  from  damp. 

*  The  most  convenient  way  of  laying  matt  or  burnish  gold  size 
on  small  work  is  to  lay  two  or  three  brushfuls  on  the  back  of  the 
left  hand  when  it  will  be  found  that  the  brush  can  be  filled  and 
brought  to  a  fine  point  very  quickly,  and  the  size  is  kept  in  a 
workable  condition  by  the  heat  of  the  hand. 

USEFUL,  RECEIPTS. 

Compo. — One  pound  of  glue  must  be  dissolved  in  one  gallon  of 
water.  In  another  kettle  boil  together  ^  lbs.  of  resin,  1  gill  of 
Venice  turpentine,  and  1  pint  of  linseed  oil ;  mix  all  together  in 
one  kettle,  and  boil  and  stir  till  the  water  has  evaporated.  Turn 


THE  gilder’s  MANUAL. 


120 

the  whole  into  a  tub  of  finely  rolled  whiting,  and  work  it  until 
it  is  of  the  consistence  of  dough. 

Another  Receipt. — Boil  7  lbs.  of  the  best  glue  in  31  pints  ol 
water.  Melt  3  lbs.  of  white  resin  in  3  pints  of  raw  linseed  oil. 
When  the  above  have  been  well  boiled  put  them  in  a  large  vessel 
and  simmer  them  for  half  an  hour,  stirring  the  mixture  and  taking 
vire  that  it  does  not  boil  over.  The  whole  must  then  be  turned 
mto  a  box  of  whiting  rolled  and  sifted,  and  mix  till  it  is  of  the 
consistence  of  dough. 

Polish  Reviver.— Quarter  pint  of  linseed  oil,  2  ozs.  wood 
naptha,  1  oz.  spirits  of  salts. 

Bookbinders’  Varnish. — Quarter  pint  of  methy.  spirits,  1  oz. 
gum  juniper,  1  oz.  orange  shellac. 

Partially  Resilvering. — The  silvering  must  be  «t?moved 
from  the  injured  part,  and  the  glass  cleaned  thoroughly.  A  wall 
of  beeswax  must  be  formed  round  the  spot,  and  nitrate  of  silver 
poured  on,  and  the  silver  precipitated  by  oil  of  cloves  and  spirits 
of  wine.  This  method  is  said  to  be  most  successful. 

Brush  Polish. — The  following  receipt  must  be  used  warm, 
and  laid  on  with  a  brush.  If  the  article  to  be  polished  be  held 
to  the  fire  before  the  application  a  better  polish  will  be  the  re¬ 
sult  :  2  ozs.  shellac,  2  ozs.  white  resin,  dissolved  in  one  pint  of 
spirits  of  wine  will  be  found  to  answer  well  for  carved  work  or 
Oxford  frames. 

French  Polish  Reviver. — Half  pint  linseed  oil,  1  oz.  of 
spirits  of  camphor,  2  ozs.  vinegar,  $  oz.  of  butter  of  antimony, 
1  oz.  of  spirits  of  hartshorn. 

Another. — One  lb.  of  naptha,  4  ozs.  of  shellac,  1  oz.  oxalic 
acid.  Let  it  stand  till  dissolved,  and  add  3  ozs.  of  linseed  oil. 

Gold  Ink.— 24  leaves  gold,  $  oz.  bronze  gold,  30  drops  of 
spirits  of  wine,  30  grains  of  honey,  4  drams  gum-arabic,  4  ozs. 
rain  water.  The  gold  must  be  rubbed  with  the  gum  and  honey, 
and  the  whole  mixed  with  water,  and  the  spirit  added. 

Gold  and  silver  inks  used  for  illumination,  are  simply  the  metals 
powdered  very  fine,  and  mixed  in  weak  gum  water.  Gold  leaf 
ground  with  honey  and  mixed  with  thin  gum,  will  be  found  to 
work  well  for  illuminations. 

Gilder’s  Ormolu. — Quarter  pint  spirits  wine,  £  oz.  garnet 
shellac,  1  dram  of  red  saurders  wood,  £  dram  turmeric. 

To  Clean  Looking  Glasses. — Sponge  down  the  glass  with 
gum  and  water,  equal  parts,  then  dust  down  with  whiting,  and 
finish  with  a  soft  old  silk  handkerchief. 

To  Clean  Marble. —  Mix  with  \  pint  of  soft  soap,  £  gill  of 
turpentine,  sufficient  pipe  clay  and  bullock’s  gall  to  mako  the 
whole  into  a  rather  thiok  paste.  Apply  it  to  the  marble  with  a 


( 


130 


THE  GILDEK’S  MANUAL. 


•oft  brush,  and  after  a  day  or  two,  when  quite  dry,  rub  it  off  with 
a  soft  rag.  Apply  this  a  second  or  third  time  till  the  marble  is 
quite  clean. 

Gold  Color  Copal  Varnish. — Take  one  ounce  of  powdered 
copal,  two  ounces  of  essential  oil  of  lavender,  and  six  ounces  of 
spirits  of  turpentine  ;  put  the  oil  of  lavender  into  a  matrass  of  a 
proper  size  placed  on  a  sand  bath  subjected  to  a  moderate  heat. 
When  the  oil  is  very  warm  add  the  copal  from  time  to  time  in 
very  small  quantities,  and  stir  the  mixture  with  a  stick  of  white 
wood  rounded  at  the  end.  When  the  copal  has  entirely  disap 
peared  put  in  the  turpentine  in  almost  a  boiling  state  at  three  dif¬ 
ferent  times,  and  keep  continually  stirring  the  mixture  until  the 
solution  be  quite  completed. 

Cleaning  Engravings. — Put  the  engraving  on  a  smooth  board, 
cover  it  thinly  with  common  salt  finely  powdered.  Squeeze 
lemon  juice  upon  the  salt  so  as  to  dissolve  a  considerable  portion 
of  it ;  elevate  one  end  of  the  board  so  that  it  may  form  an  angle 
of  about  45  or  50  degrees.  Pour  on  the  engraving  boiling  water 
from  a  tea  kettle  until  the  salt  and  lemon  juice  be  all  washed  off. 
The  engraving  then  will  be  perfectly  clean  and  free  from  stains. 
It  must  be  dried  on  the  board  or  some  smooth  surface  gradually. 
If  dried  by  the  fire  or  the  sun  it  will  be  tinged  with  a  yellow 
color. 

Another  Method. — Immerse  the  print  for  an  hour  or  so  in  a  ley 
made  by  adding  to  the  strongest  muriatic  acid  its  own  weight  in 
water,  and  to  three  parts  of  this  mixture  adding  one  of  red  oxide 
of  manganese.  4 

A  print,  if  not  properly  clean  may  remain  in  this  liquid  for 
twenty-four  hours  without  harm.  Indian  ink  stains  should  in 
the  first  instance  be  assisted  out  with  hot  water  ;  pencil  marks 
taken  out  with  Indian  rubber  so  carefully  as  not  to  injure  the  en¬ 
graving.  If  the  print  has  been  mounted,  the  paste  on  the  back 
should  be  thoroughly  removed  with  warm  water.  The  saline 
crystal  left  by  the  solution  may  be  removed  by  repeated  rinsings 
in  warm  water. 

Ink  Spots  in  Mahogany. — To  take  out  ink  spots  in  mahogany, 
apply  oxalic  acid  in  water  with  a  sponge  till  the  ink  disappears. 

To  Revive  the  Gilt  op  Picture  Frames. — Beat  up  three  ozs. 
of  the  whites  of  eggs  with  one  oz.  of  chloride  of  potash  or  soda. 
Brush  the  frame  carefully  over  with  the  above,  when  the  frame 
will  have  a  much  fresher  appearance. 

To  Take  Ink  out  of  Paper. — Two  drams  of  muriate  of  tio 
mixed  with  double  its  quantity  of  water  applied  with  a  soft  brush, 
will  bri  ng  out  the  ink.  The  paper  must  be  well  r  psed  in  water  to 
wash  off  the  stain. 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL,  181 

Another. — Citric  or  tartaric  acids  can  be  applied  to  the  leaves  of 
books  or  engravings  to  take  out  ink  stains. 

To  Remove  Stains  and  Spots  from  Paper. — The  clear  solu¬ 
tion  of  chloride  of  lime  diluted  with  twice  its  bulk  of  water,  will 
effectually  and  expeditiously  remove  stains  from  prints  and  printed 
paper.  First  soak  the  paper  in  clear  water  till  it  becomes  smooth, 
then  remove  it  into  a  dish  large  enough  to  hold  it  flat  filled  with 
the  solution  diluted  as  above.  The  stain  will  disappear  in  a 
few  minutes,  after  that  again  soak  the  paper  in  clear  water  to 
free  it  from  chloride  of  lime,  and  dry  it  between  sheets  of 
blotting  paper. 

To  take  Grease  and  Ink  out  of  Paper. — Apply  to  it  a  cam¬ 
el’s  hair  pencil  dipped  in  muriate  of  tin,  two  drams,  water  four 
drams.  After  the  writing  has  disappeared  the  paper  should  be 
passed  through  water  and  then  dried.  To  extract  grease  spots 
from  paper,  gently  warm  the  greased  cr  spotted  part  of  the  paper, 
and  then  press  upon  it  pieces  of  blotting  paper  one  after  another 
to  absorb  as  much  of  the  grease  as  possible.  Have  ready  some 
fine  clear  spirits  of  turpentine,  heated  almost  to  boiling 
state  ;  slightly  warm  the  greased  part  of  the  paper,  and  with  a 
soft  clean  brush,  wet  both  sides  of  the  spot  with  the  heated  tur¬ 
pentine.  By  repeating  this  application  the  grease  will  be  ex 
tracted.  Lastly,  with  another  brush,  dipped  in  rectified  splits 
of  wine,  go  over  the  place,  and  the  grease  will  entirely  disappear 
without  the  paper  being  discolored. 

White  Furniture  Cream. — With  the  following  receipt  the 
vinegar  must  be  mixed  with  the  linseed  oil  by  degrees,  and  the 
bottle  well  shook  up.  The  spirit  of  antimony  must  afterward  be 
added,  and  well  mixed.  Six  ounces  of  raw  linseed  oil,  three  ozs. 
methylated  spirits,  three  ozs.  white  wine  vinegar,  half  an  ounce 
of  butter  of  antimony. 

Cement  for  Mounting  Photographs. — Fine  wheat  starch, 
four  drams,  beat  into  a  paste  with  cold  water,  one  oz.  of  best 
Russian  glue  ;  dissolve  in  a  pint  of  boiling  water  ;  while  boiling 
pour  on  the  starch  ;  put  the  whole  into  a  saucepan,  and  boil  till  as 
thick  as  treacle.  When  required  for  use  a  small  quantity  is  to  be 
melted  in  a  little  warm  water. 

Brushes  for  Varnishing. — Varnish  brushes  should  be  made 
of  long  white  hairs,  have  a  good  spring,  and  be  of  the  best  quality. 
They  should  be  worn  fiat,  sharp,  and  thin  at  the  point,  as  they 
will  lay  on  the  varnish  so  much  more  regularly.  No  oil  brush 
should  be  put  in  the  varnish,  if  so  they  should  be  well  washed  first 
in  turpentine  and  well  squejzed  out.  It  is  important  to  pay  a 
little  attention  to  brushes  when  not  in  use,  and  oil  varnish 
brushes  should  be  suspended  in  varnish  of  the  same  sort  as  used. 


132 


THE  GILDER’S  MANUAL. 


care  being  taken  that  the  varnish  covers  the  hairs  of  the  brush  up 
to  the  binding  of  the  tin.  The  advantage  is  that  they  are  always 
clean,  pliable,  and  straight.  If  brushes  are  kept  in  turpentine 
they  become  hard  and  harsh,  and  the  turpentine  left  in  the  ^rush 
will  cause  the  work  to  look  cloudy  or  streaked. 

To  Silver  Copper  Work. — Dissolve  in  one  ounce  of  aquafortis, 
over  a  moderate  fire,  one  dram  of  good  silver  in  small  pieces,  when 
dissolved  take  the  vessel  off  the  fire,  and  throw  in  as  much  white 
tartar  as  will  absorb  the  liquor,  and  make  it  into  a  paste.  Copper 
or  brass  work  cleaned  and  rubbed  over  with  this  paste  will  have 
a  brilliant  silver  surface. 

To  Remove  Varnish  from  Prints. — The  varnish  may  some¬ 
times  be  removed  by  rubbing  it  up  with  the  fingers ;  a  white 
powder  is  produced,  which  must  be  dusted  off.  The  print  must 
then  be  stretched,  sized  and  varnished,  as  before  directed.  If  the 
varnish  will  not  rise  by  rubbing,  it  has  not  been  varnished  with 
nastic. 

Another  Method. — Blotting  paper  spread  over  the  print  and 
saturated  with  pure  spirit,  will  dissolve  the  varnish.  The  blot¬ 
ting  paper  should  be  changed  and  the  process  repeated  if  not  effec 
tual  the  first  or  second  time. 

Wood  Stain  eng. — Many  of  the  cheap  frames  now  sold  are 
stained  wood,  and  walnut  is  imitated  by  darkening  elm  or  beech 
The  more  figure  there  is  on  the  wood  the  better  beech  may  be 
made  to  imitate  mahogany  by  the  following  receipt : — One  or.nce 
ff  dragon’s  blood,  pulverized,  put  into  one  pint  of  rectified  spirits 
of  wine  ;  keep  it  in  a  warm  place  until  dissolved. 

Oak  stain  may  soon  be  made  by  adding  to  a  quart  of  water  two 
ounces  each  of  potash  and  pearlash.  Tm's  is  a  very  good  stain, 
but  should  be  used  carefully,  as  it  blisters  the  hands  and  softens 
brushes.  It  should  be  kept  corked  up.  A  lighter  stain  may  be  made 
by  adding  more  water. 

To  improve  the  tint  of  any  stain  mix  one  ounce  of  nitric  acid, 
half  a  tea-spoonful  of  muriatic  acid,  quarter  of  an  ounce  of 
grain  tin,  and  two  ounces  of  rain  water.  It  should  be  kept  in  a 
well  corked  bottle,  and  mixed  two  days  before  using.  A  little 
of  the  above  will  render  any  stain  more  brilliant. 

Imitating  Rosewood. — 1.  A  transparent  liquid  rose  pink,  used 
in  imitating  rosewood,  consists  in  mixing  \  lb.  of  potash  in  1 
gallon  of  hot  water,  and  ^  lb.  of  red  sanders  wood  is  added  there¬ 
to  ;  when  the  color  of  the  wood  is  extracted,  2$  lbs.  of  gum  shellac 
are  added  and  dissolved  over  a  quick  fir©  ;  the  mixture  is  then 
ready  to  be  used  on  a  groundwork  made  with  logwood  stain. 

2.  Boil  $  lb.  of  logwood  in  3  pints  of  water  till  it  is  of  a  very  dark 
red,  add  |  oz.  of  salts  of  tartar.  While  boiling  hot  stain  the 


T WE  GILDER’S  MANUAL, 


IBS 


wood  with  two  or  three  coats,  taking  care  that  it  is  nearly  dry  be¬ 
tween  each  ;  then  with  a  stiff  flat  brush,  such  as  is  used  by  the 
painters  foi  graining,  form  streaks  with  black  stain.  This  imita¬ 
tion  will  very  nearly  equal  the  appearance  of  dark  rosewood. 

3.  Stain  with  black  stain,  and  when  dry,  with  a  brush  as  above 
dipped  in  the  brightening  liquid,  form  red  veins  in  imitation  of 
the  grain  of  rosewood.  A  handy  brush  for  the  purpose  m  iy  be 
made  out  of  a  flat  brusn,  such  as  is  used  for  varnishing  ;  cut  the 
sharp  points  off,  and  make  the  edges  irregular  by  cutting  »ut  a 
few  hairs  here  and  there,  and  you  will  have  a  tool  which  will  ac¬ 
tually  imitate  the  grain. 

Black  Stain. — Boil  1  lb.  of  logwood  in  4  quarts  of  water,  add 
a  double  handful  of  walnut  peel  or  shells  ;  boil  it  up  again,  take 
out  the  chips,  add  a  pint  of  the  best  vinegar,  and  it  will  be  fit  for 
nse ;  apply  it  boiling.  This  will  be  improved,  if  when  dry,  a 
solution  of  green  copperas,  an  ounce  to  a  quart  of  water,  is  ap¬ 
plied  hot  over  the  first  stain. 

Black  Stain  for  Immediate  Use. — Boil  i  lb.  of  chip  log¬ 
wood  in  2  quarts  of  water,  add  1  oz.  of  pearlash,  and  apply  it  hot 
to  the  work  with  a  brush.  Then  take  £  lb.  of  logwood,  boil  it 
as  before  in  2  quarts  of  water,  and  add  |  oz.  of  verdigris  and 
i  oz  of  copperas  ;  strain  it  off,  put  in  I  lb.  of  rusty  steel  filings ; 
with  this  go  over  the  work  a  second  time. 

Ebony  Stains. — 1.  Stain  work  with  the  black  stain,  adding 
powdered  nutgall  to  the  logwood  and  copperas  solution,  dry,  rub 
down  well,  oil,  then  use  French  polish  made  tolerably  dark  with 
indigo,  or  finely-powdered  stone  blue. 

2.  Hold  an  ordinary  slate  over  gas,  lamp,  or  candle,  until  it  is 
well  smoked  at  the  bottom,  scrape  a  sufficient  quantity  into 
French  polish,  and  well  mix  ;  then  polish  the  article  in  the  ordi¬ 
nary  way.  If  there  are  any  lumps  gently  rub  them  down  and  ap¬ 
ply  another  coat. 

3.  Prepare  a  decotion  of  logwood  by  adding  a  small  handful  of 
chips  to  a  pint  of  rain  water.  Allow  this  to  simmer  until  reduced 
one-fourth,  and  while  the  liquor  is  hot,  dress  the  work  to  be  ebon- 
ized  two  or  three  times.  To  the  remainder  of  the  liquor  add  two 
bruised  nut-galls,  a  few  very  rusty  nails,  bits  of  iron  hooping, 
or  a  piece  of  sulphate  of  iron  the  size  of  a  walnut,  and  as  much 
more  rain  water  as  will  make  about  three-quarters  of  a  pint  of 
liquor.  Apply  this,  which  will  be  a  black  stain,  hot  as  before, 
giving  two  coats,  and  when  thoroughly  dry,  polish  with  ordinary 
French  polish,  to  which  sufficient  powdered  thumb-blue  has  been 
added  to  preceptibly  color  the  polish.  Use  a  glazed  pipkin  in 
which  to  prepare  the  stain.  Take  care  that  no  oil  or  grease  comes 
In  contact  with  the  brushes  used  or  the  surface  of  the  wood  until 


134 


the  gilder’s  manuai* 


ready  for  polishing.  Let  each  coat  of  stain  dry  before  the  next 
is  added,  and  rub  down  with  well  used,  fine  glass-paper.  Syca¬ 
more,  chestnut,  and  plane-tree,  are  the  best  woods  for  ebonizing 
in  the  above  manner. 

4.  Infuse  gall-nuts  in  vinegar  in  which  rusty  nails  have  been 
soaked,  rub  the  wood  with  the  infusion,  dry,  polish,  burnish. 

5.  Stain  in  the  first  place  with  a  hot  saturated  solution  of  log¬ 
wood,  containing  a  little  alum  ;  and,  when  dry,  brushit  over  with 
common  writing  ink. 

Imitation  Carved  Oak  Frames. — These  frames  may  be  made 
to  look  very  effective  with  a  gold  inside,  and  are  suitable  for 
historical  engravings. 

They  are  made  up  from  moldings  in  the  white,  and  mountec 
with  composition  ornaments,  backed  up  as  if  for  gilding.  After 
a  coat  of  thin  white,  they  must  be  glass-papered  down,  and  then 
toated  with  Venetian  red  and  white.  Black  Japan  thinned  down 
with  turpentine,  is  then  laid  on,  and  combed  for  oak  grain.  Two 
coats  of  oak  varnish  will  be  required  to  finish  the  work.  If  a 
woody  grain  is  required,  mix  chrome  yellow  with  the  color. 

To  Brighten  Gold  Frames. — Take  sufficient  flour  of  sulphur 
to  gi  ve  a  golden  tinge  to  about  1|  pints  of  water,  and  in  this  boil 
i  or  5  bruised  onions,  or  garlic,  which  will  answer  the  same  pur¬ 
pose  ;  strain  off  the  liquid,  and  with  it,  when  cold,  wash  with  a 
soft  brush  any  gilding  which  requires  restoring,  and  when  dry  it 
will  come  out  bright. 

Gold  Frames. — Frames  that  have  taken  the  dust  and  lock  dirty 
may  be  brightened  by  going  over  them  with  a  soft  sponge  and 
water  till  the  finish  size  is  removed,  and  then  size  them  again. 
This  should  be  done  by  a  practiced  hand,  or  the  gold  may  be 
rubbed  off. 

French  Polish. — To  one  pint  of  spirits  of  wine,  and  half  an 
ounce  of  gum  shellac,  half  an  ounce  of  seed  lac,  and  a  quarter  of 
an  ounce  of  gum  sandarach ;  submit  the  whole  to  a  gentle  heat,  fre¬ 
quently  shaking  it,  till  the  various  gums  are  dissolved,  when  it  is 
fit  for  use. 

Another. — Shellac  6  ozs.,  naptha  1  quart,  «andaracli  1  oz.,  benzoin 
|  oz. 

Another  — Three  ozs.  shellac,  4  oz.  of  gum  mastic  pulverized, 
and  one  pint  of  methylated  spirits  of  wine  added.  Let  it  stand 
till  dissolved. 

Another. — 12  ozs.  shellac,  2  ozs.  gum  elima,  3  ozs.  gum  copal,  1 
gallon  of  spirits  of  wine  ;  dissolve. 

Another. — The  following  must  be  well  mixed  and  dissolved  : — 
Pale  shellac  2\  lbs.,  3  ozs.  mastic,  3  ozs.  sandarach,  1  galL  spirits 
of  wine.  After  the  above  is  dissolved,  add  1  pint  of  copal  var- 


the  gilder’s  manual.  135 

nish,  11  ozs.  shellac,  £  oz.  gum  juniper,  1  oz.  benzoin,  }  pint  of 
methylated  alcohol. 

AnotJier. — Gum  mastic,  seedlac,  sandarach,  shellac,  and  gum* 
arabic,  1  oz.  each  pulverize  and  add  f  oz.  of  virgin  wax.  Dis 
solve  in  1  quart  of  rectified  spirits  of  wine. 

Strength  op  Gold  Size. — As  we  before  mentioned  that  refer¬ 
ence  would  again  be  made  to  the  strength  of  size,  with  a  view  of 
determining  the  right  strength  for  the  work,  we  will  do  so  now 
at  the  end  of  the  volume. 

Hitherto  experience  ha9  decided  the  strength  of  burnish  gold 
size,  so  that  when  the  burnisher  is  applied  it  will  not  friz  up  ;  and 
even  the  man  of  experience  is  somewhat  puzzled  when  he  wishes 
to  get  on  with  his  work, and  has  hot  size  to  make  up  his  prepara 
tions. 

A  few  little  experiments  have  been  tried  during  the  progress 
of  this  volume  through  the  press  with  a  view  to  determine,  a« 
near  as  can  be,  the  strength  required  for  a  good  burnish,  without 
leaving  it  to  an  uncertainty. 

There  is  a  little  instrument  used  to  test  milk  called  a  Laciome 
ter ,  which  is  a  float  that  records  the  density  of  the  milk. 

By  this  little  instrument  the  density  and  strength  of  size  may 
always  be  known  exactly,  without  leaving  any  doubt  on  the 
matter ;  and  as  a  standard  to  regulate  the  strength  required,  a 
good  burnish  will  be  the  result  of  size  where  the  float  registers  it 
a  little  weaker  than  three-quarters  milk,  and  matt  a  little  stronger 
Matt  should  be  stronger,  and  the  float  would  register  near  the  2. 

State  op  Oil  Paintings  to  re  Lined. — If  an  oil  painting 
requires  lining,  and  is  bud)y  cracked  or  very  rotten,  a  good  sheet 
of  paper  should  be  pasted  on  the  face  of  the  picture  to  strengthen 
and  preserve  it  during  the  operation  ;  and  the  stretcher  should  be 
a  little  larger  than  the  painting,  so  that  the  edges  of  the  picture 
will  not  tear  up.  The  sheet  of  paper  must  be  carefully  sponged 
off  when  the  picture  is  dry. 


r 

HOW  TO  DRAW  AN1(  PAINT . — A  complete  handbook  on  the  whole  art  of 

Drawing  and  Painting,  containing  concise  instructions  in  Outline, 
Light  and  Shade,  Perspective,  Sketching  from  Nature,  Figure 
Drawing,  Artistic  Anatomy,  Landscape,  Marine,  and  Portrait  Paint¬ 
ing,  (he  principles  of  colors  applied  to  paintings,  etc.,  etc.,  with 
over  100  illustrations, 

12  mo.,  boards,  with  cloth  back . .  .Price  50  cfcs* 

EXCELSIOR  SERIES  OF  RECITATIONS  AND  READINGS.— The  great 
demand  for  new  and  suitable  Readings  and  Recitations  has  led  to 
the  compilation  of  these  books.  Our  experienceof  the  past  warrants 
the  belief  that  our  efforts  will  be  appreciated  by  the  public.  Each 
number  will  coniain  about  II 6  pages,  bound  in  a  beautiful  illustrated 
cover  printed  in  colors. 

<  Nos.  1,2,  and 3 now  ready........... . Price 25  cts.  each. 

THE  COMPLETE  DEBATER.— Containing  Debates,  Outlines  of  Debates, 
and  Questions  for  Discussion,  to  which  is  added  an  original  and 
complete  debate  on  Free  Trade. 

Bound  in  boards,  with  cloth  back,  containing  over  200 

pages.  . Price,  50ctg 

THE  MODERN  BAR  TENDER'S  GUIDE.— Containing  clear  and  practical 
directions  for  mixing  all  kinds  of  cocktails,  sours,  egg  nogs,  sherry 
cobblers,  coolers,  absinthe,  crustas,  fizzes,  flips,  juleps,  fixes, 
punches,  lemonades,  and  pousse  cafes,  together  with  complete 
directions  and  receipts  for  making  all  kinds  of  domestic  brandies, 
beers,  wines,  cordials,  extracts,  and  syrups. 


Bound  in  paper  . .  .  . . Price 50 cts. 

Bound  in  extra  cloth,  gilt . .  “  75  cts. 


PAYNE’S  BUSINESS  LETTER  WRITE!  AND  BOOR  OF  COMMERCIAL 
FORMS. — Containing  specimen  letters  on  all  possible  business  topics, 
with  appropriate  answers.  Added  to  this  are  a  great  number  of 
forms  for  Business  Papers  and  Documents,  such  as  Agreements, 
Leases,  Promissory  Notes,  Mortgages  Ronds,  Receipts,  and  a  host 
of  other  forms. 

Bound  in  boards,  with  cloth  back. . . Price  50  cts. 

DUNBAR'S  COMPLETE  HANDBOOK  OF  ETIQUETTE.— This  work  pre¬ 
sents,  in  a  clear  and  intelligible  manner,  the  whole  art  and  philos¬ 
ophy  of  Etiquette.  Among  the  contents  are :  Bodily  Deportment, 
X  Speak  Grammatically,  Self-Respect,  Pedantry,  Social  Charac¬ 
ters,  Traveling,  Useful  Hints  on  Conversation,  etc.,  etc. 

Bound  in  boards,  cloth  back . . . Price  50  cts. 

BUBDETT'S  SERIES  OF  RECITATIONS  AND  READINGS.—' The<=e  books 
contain,  new  and  original  pieces  never  before  published.  The  entire- 
series  compiled  and  arranged  by  the  popular  avid  talented  humorist 
James  S.  Burdett.  No.  1,  Dutch  Dialect,  and  No.  2,  Serio  Comic 
now  ready,  be  followed  rapidly  by  No.  3,  Negro  Dialect;  No  4 
Patriotic;  No.  o.  Dramatic;  No.  o,  Heroic;  No.  ,-  Shakesperean. 
etc 

illustrated  paper  cover,  containing  160  pages . .  . .  .xtice  25  cts 

*  ftr  Bale  by  all  Booksellers,  or  will  be  sent,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  prm'- 


POPULAR  ELECTRICAL  BOOKS. 


A.  B.  C.  OF  ELECTRICITY.  By  W.  H.  MEADOWCROFT, 
Endorsed  by  Thos.  a.  Edison. 

This  is  an  excellent  primary  book.  Over  70,000  copies  have 
been  sold.  The  A.  B.  C.  principles  upon  which  electrical  science 
is  built  are  set  forth  in  a  clear  and  concise  manner.  The  infor¬ 
mation  it  contains  is  valuable  and  correct.  It  is  for  every  person 
desiring  a  knowledge  of  electricity  and  is  what  its  title  implies, 
the  first  flight  of  steps  in  electricity,  xamo,  doth ,  must.  Price ,  50o. 

A.  B.  C.  OF  THE  X-RAYS.  By  W.  H.  MEADOWCROFT. 

This  is  the  best  primary  work  on  the  subject.  The  aim  of 
the  book  is  to  explain  the  whole  apparatus  and  the  manner  of 
its  workings  in  a  popular  and  practical  way. 

i2mo ,  cloth ,  illustrated.  Price%  76o. 

A.  B.  C.  OF  ELECTRICAL  EXPERIMENTS.  By  W  J.  CLARKE. 

A  practical  elementary  book  adapted  to  beginners  and  stu¬ 
dents;  giving  plain  instructions  for  the  making  of  batteries, 
magnets,  telegraph,  telephone,  electric  bells,  induction  coils, 
X-rays,  wireless  telegraphy,  dynamos  and  motors.  Any  student 
either  young  or  old  can  procure  the  material  mentioned  at  small 
cost,  and  can  make  for  himself  any  of  the  instruments,  or  can 
work  out  the  experiments  given  in  this  book,  thus  getting  a 
thorough  practical  knowledge  of  the  principles  which  underlie 
the  great  science  of  Electricity.  i2mo ,  cloth,  illustrated.  Price,  $1.00. 

ELECTRICAL  INSTRUMENT  MAKING  FOR  AMATEURS. 

BY  8.  R.  BOTTONE. 

Contains  plain  instructions  by  which  any  one  moderately 
handy  with  tools  can  make  the  instruments  now  employed  in 
theoretical  or  practical  electricity  from  Torsion  balance  and 
induction  coils  to  dynamos,  motors,  telephone,  phonograph, 
and  micrograph.  / 2mo,  cloth ,  illustrated.  Price, 

ELECTRIC  BELLS  AND  ALL  ABOUTTHEM.  By  S.  R.  BOTTONE. 

In  this  volume  the  whole  subject  of  electric  bells  is  ex¬ 
plained  in  simple  language.  A  great  help  to  the  professional. 
An  amateur  can  master  it  within  a  very  short  time. 

i2mo,  cloth,  illustrated.  Price , 

ELECTRO  MOTORS,  How  Made  AND  HOW  USED. 

By  S.  R.  Bottone  and  A.  M.  A.  Beale. 

A  handbook  for  amateurs  and  practical  men,  giving  a  com¬ 
plete  and  simple  explanation  of  the  source  of  the  power  in  a 
motor  and  the  method  of  applying  the  same. 

l2mo,  cloth ,  illustrated.  Price,  76o. 

HOW  TO  MAKE  A  DYNAMO.  By  Alfred  Crofts. 

A  practical  work  for  amateurs  and  electricians,  giving  de¬ 
tailed  instructions  for  constructing  dvnamos  and  all  the  parts. 

i2mo,  cloth,  illustrated.  Price ,  76o. 

Any  of  the  above  books  sent  postpaid  upon  receipt  of  price. 

EXCELSIOR  PUBLISHING  HOUSE, 

MoKEON  &  SCHOFIELD,  Proprietors.  NEW  YORK. 


PRACTICAL  SELF  HELPS 


COURT  REPORTING. 

A  MANUAL  OF  LEGAL  DICTATION  AND  FORMS. 

This  book  is  designed  for  stenographers  and  typewriters  whc 
are  desirous  of  becoming  proficient  and  expert  in  law  work  and 
court  reporting.  It  contains  all  the  various  forms  of  legal  matter 
that  are  dictated  to  a  stenographer  in  a  law  office  or  court,  and  are 
taken  from  actual  business  dictated  by  our  most  prominent  lawyers 
and  judges,  which  makes  the  book  a  valuable  work,  both  for  self 
and  class  instruction.  The  highest  state  of  proficiency  can  be 
attained  in  stenography  and  typewriting  through  the  practice  offered 
by  this  book.  The  book  also  contains  a  list  of  legal  words  and 
phrases,  with  their  abbreviations,  which  are  in  constant  use  in  law 
work,  together  with  a  full  and  complete  spelling  list  of  28,000 
words.  i2mo.  Bound  in  Half  Law  Sheep.  Price . $1.00. 

BROWN'S  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE 
AND  MANUAL  OF  DICTATION 

For  the  use  of  teachers  and  students  of  stenography  and  type¬ 
writing.  Containing  selected  letters  of  actual  correspondence  in  bank¬ 
ing,  insurance,  railroad,  and  mercantile  business;  a  chapter  on  punc¬ 
tuation,  spelling,  and  use  of  capital  letters;  together  with  a  full  and 
complete  spelling  list  of  25,000  words.  i2mo.  Cloth.  Price,  $1.00# 

LAW  AT  A  GLANCE;  OR,  EVERY  MAN 
HIS  OWN  COUNSELOR. 

A  new  epitome  of  the  laws  of  the  different  States  of  our  Union 
and  those  of  the  General  Government  of  the  United  States,  and  will 
be  found  invaluable  to  those  who  are  forced  to  appeal  to  the  law,  as 
well  as  the  large  class  who  wish  to  avoid  it.  The  whole  is  alpha* 
betically  arranged  so  as  to  make  reference  to  it  easy.  i2mo.  Half 
Law  Sheep.  Price . SI. 00. 

BOOKKEEPING  AT  A  GLANCE. 

By  Expert  J.  T.  BRIERLY. 

A  simple  and  concise  method  of  practical  bookkeeping,  with  in¬ 
structions  for  the  proper  keeping  of  books  of  accounts,  and  numerous 
explanations  and  forms  used  in  commercial  business,  showing  an 
entire  set  of  books  based  upon  actual  transactions,  how  to  take  off  a 
trial  balance  sheet,  and  finally  close  and  balance  accounts.  Also 
Catechism  of  Bookkeeping — being  conversation  between  teacher  and 
student.  Containing  144  pages.  Small  i6mo.  Russian  leather. 
Price.  50  cents.  Russian  leather,  gilt,  indexed.  Price,  75  cents. 


After  reading  it  any  intelligent  person  should  be  able  to  select  and 

operate  X-Ray  apparatus. 


BY 

WM.  h.  meadowcroft, 

Fully  Illustrated. 

ONE  VOLUME,  12mo.,  CLOTH. 


a  B  C  of  the  X-Rays”  is  the 
best  primary  work  on  the  subject. 
A  book  for  the  people.  The  au¬ 
thor  of  “  A  B  C  of  Electricity  ” 
showed  clearly  in  that  work  his 
ability  to  explain  a  technical  subject  for  the  laymen  who 
know  nothing  of  scientific  terms.  He  has  written  this 
work  about  the  X-Ray  in  his  usual  clear  and  simple  style, 
and  a  wide  circulation  of  this  highly  useful  book  is  assured. 
The  aim  of  this  book  is  to  explain  the  whole  apparatus 
and  the  manner  of  its  working  in  a  popular  and  practical 
way.  The  text  of  the  author  is  beautifully  embellished 
with  fine  engravings,  and  nothing  is  omitted  that  will  give 
the  public  a  clear  knowledge  of  the  remarkable  discovery 
of  Professor  Roentgen.  Price  75  cents. 


EXCELSIOR  PUBLISHING  HOUSE, 

MCKEON  &  SCHOFIELD,  Proprietors, 

NEW  YORK, 


New  and  Popular  Books  sent  Free  of  Postage  at  Prices  Annexe* 


EXCELSIOR  WEBSTER  POCKET  8PELLER  AND 

DEFINER  of  the  English  Language.— 

Containing  over  25,000  words.  This  work  gives  the 
correct  orthography  and  definition  of  all  the  words 
in  common  use.  The  illustration  gives  a  fair  idea 
of  the  shape  of  the  work,  being  especially  made  to 
fit  the  pocket,  and  bound  in  &  style  which  makes  it 
durable  and  elegant.  This  Speller  and  Deflner  is 
not  a  reprint,  but  has  been  carefully  prepared  by 
competent  hands  to  meet  the  general  want  for  & 
book  of  this  kind;  and,  for  the  space  it  occupies, 
has  no  superior  in  the  publishing  world ;  containing 
320  pages,  double  column,  it  weighs  2%  ounoes,  size 
6  x  2 inches,  neatly  bound  in  elegant  American 
Russia  Leather,  Burnished  Edges,  and  Indexed. 

Price . 50  eta. 


BROWNS  BUSINESS  CORRESPONDENCE  AND 
MANUAL  OF  DICTATION.—  Especially  designed  for  the  use 
of  Teachers  and  Students  of  Stenography  and  Typewriting.  Containing; 
A.  collection  of  selected  letters,  representing  actual  correspondence  in 
Banking,  Insurance,  Railroad  and  Mercantile  business  ;  a  chapter  on 
Punctuation,  Spelling,  and  Use  of  Capital  Letters;  together  with  a  full 
and  complete  Spelling  List  of  27,000  words.  Also  Special  Exercises  for 
Dictation — carefully  graded— comprising  selections  from  choice  literature, 
Transcripts  of  Court  Testimony,  Address  to  Jury,  Judge’s  Charge,  and 
Sentence;  Architect’s  Specifications;  copies  of  Legal  Papers;  Banker's 
Weekly  Financial  Circulars,  Railroad  Lease,  First  Mortgage,  copy  of 
Bond,  Contracts,  Prospectus,  Notices,  etc.,  etc.  By  William  H.  Brown, 
Instructor  in  Stenography  at  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association— 
Harlem  Branch— New  York  City.  Contains  320  pages,  large  12mo,  cloth. 
Price . $1.00 


WILSON’S  MODERN  DANOES.— a  new  exposition  of  all  the 

Modern  Dances,  including  The  York,  La  Pavane,  Military  Schottish,  Christ- 
was  Polka,  Highland  Schottish,  Waltz-Caprice;  containing  Full,  Clear, 
And  Practical  Instructive  Diagrams  of  Marches,  Quadrilles,  Waltses, 
Pelkaa,  etc  , etc.  Con tain&ng  128  pages,  paper  ©orv  Rrio*.  ,....25  «t*« 


L 


1 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY 


•V-\U  »  jir,: 


in 


tea^ssMsss 


in 


I  -  #•  I'A  %*  V'  % 


ill 


